Heat Induced
by mandrake-o
Summary: What if Max was in heat the first time she met Alec? Basically a season 2 rewrite with pregnant Max, and one version of what comes after the end of the series. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: No, this isn't the next chapter of Time and Again. I hope to put one out before the end of the year, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you. This is also not my NaNoWriMo story, despite the fact that it is over 50,000 words long and was written in the space of twenty days. What this is, is a manifestation of a sudden bout of Jensen Ackles fangirlishness. It attempted to manifest itself in various ways (don't be surprised if you see a new Supernatural story before the next T&A) before settling into this.

I'm going to attempt to post one chapter per day. I'll try for a twelve-hour gap if the chapter is on the shorter side. I read the Dark Angel books by Max Allan Collins, so parts of those may have seeped into my writing, though there are no real spoilers. This hasn't been beta-ed so it's likely to be full of randomly incoherent bits. Oh, and this is my first attempt at Dark Angel fanfiction and I actually haven't watched most of it since it aired so my perspective's probably a little skewed. Oh, and even though it's third person, the POV's a little out of whack at times.

This story is a season two rewrite and each chapter is based on an episode (barring the last two), so the chapter lengths do vary a fair amount. I tried not to rewrite too many scenes, so at times it might seem a little disjointed. You can imagine that anything I haven't written happened exactly as it did in the show, unless it has been directly contradicted. If you're having too much trouble imagining things for yourself, I am going to be taking requests for deleted scenes to fill in the blanks.

And I think that's all I need to warn you about before you actually read this.

Chapter 1

"Do you understand your assignment, X5-494?" Director Renfro asked the transgenic male standing at attention in front of her.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "I am to copulate with X5-452 until she becomes pregnant, and to use the time spent with her to ensure that she remains at Manticore by any means necessary."

"Precisely," said Renfro. "And I needn't remind you of the consequences should you fail."

"No, ma'am," he said.

"Dismissed."

x x x

Max was on fire. She wanted so badly for something she couldn't get in this tiny, empty cell that Manticore tried to pass off as a bedroom. She tried to take out her frustrations on the brick she was removing, but it did nothing to help. She heard a noise and quickly got her bunk back in order.

No matter how she was feeling, she couldn't just ignore her great escape plan. The light flicked on and the door opened.

"Ben," she said, looking at the man who entered. He could be the answer to her problem. On the other hand, he was her brother and she wasn't that desperate, was she?

"What?" he said.

A sultry smile crept over Max's face. Not Ben, then. This she could work with. "Hello there," she said, stretching as she stood, showing off her form to its best advantage in her Manticore uniform. She wished she could be prettier, but Manticore wasn't about to give them beauty products, sexy underwear and skintight dresses. She had to make do with what she had.

He smiled at her. "Hello to you, too."

She stalked toward him and pulled her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent. He smelled good. He was going to do very nicely. "So, what do they call you?" she asked.

"My designation's 494," he said.

Max nodded to herself. Ben's twin, then. "Doesn't quite roll off the tongue," she said, and watched as his eyes followed the movement of her tongue. "I think I'll call you... Dick, instead." And she grabbed him through his pants.

494's eyes widened and he sucked in a breath. "Well," he said. "No time like the present." He grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head.

Max smiled as his tanned skin revealed itself. This was working out very nicely indeed. A very small part of her, the part that had remembered to cover up her escape attempt, was suspicious of this man and Manticore. But the feline part of Max wanted one thing. And who was she to deny herself when it was being offered to her in such a delicious package? She raised herself onto her toes and kissed him, losing herself in the sensation before the rest of their clothes even hit the floor.

x x x

X5-494 was surprised at the way this assignment had gone. 452 was a flight risk. She was supposed to be anti-Manticore. The director herself had warned him about her, but she had stood before him, apparently completely happy to go along with the order to copulate. And though he had questions, 494 was a red-blooded male presented with an attractive female... his orders were rarely so pleasurable to carry out.

Max stood beside X5-494, knowing she was supposed to be reporting something. Instead she was full of shame because she'd just had sex with a random man. An X5 had been sent to her room. She'd had sex with him, and then he'd left after chatting up the guard. It made her wonder if the heat cycle she'd experienced at the time had anything to do with Manticore.

"Report," said Renfro, looking straight at Max. Her Manticore mask threatened to fall, but she couldn't form the words. Luckily her partner had no such compunction.

"Successful copulation between myself and X5-452, ma'am. Twice." There was no trace of a smirk, no bragging tone, but somehow Max sensed that he was proud of himself. Mission complete. Though Max wished that it wasn't true, but it was.

"Excellent, 452. What would your boyfriend say?"

What would she say to Logan? She focused on keeping her face impassive. No matter what, she was not going to let Renfro get to her. Her heat was over. It was never going to happen again.

x x x

X5-494 was sitting on 452's bunk, waiting for her. He'd have to report that she was missing later, but for now he would wait for her to return. While the first part of his current mission was complete, he seemed to be failing the second part. If 452 could get out of her cell, it wouldn't take much more effort on her part to escape the facility entirely.

He heard shifting, then 452 was crawling out from the hole she'd created under her bunk.

"Forget we had a date?" he asked.

"So when do the stormtroopers bust in?" she asked.

He only vaguely grasped the meaning of her statement. "Don't worry. I didn't set off the alarm. Not yet."

"What do you want?"

"I'm not looking for trouble. What you do is your own business."

He stood up and watched her clean up after herself, remembering the details of the piece of metal she'd used to remove the mortar. It was something else to add to his report.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked him.

"I thought orders were plain enough," he said. "Copulate every night until you get pregnant."

"That's sick!"

This was what 494 had expected to encounter the first time he entered this cell. He guessed 452 really had been in heat when he'd first met her. That didn't matter to him. If his nose was right, copulation was successful in more than one way. The director would never have to know he hadn't succeeded beyond that first day.

"It's your own fault. If you and your friends hadn't blown up the DNA database, they'd still be whipping up embryos and putting them into surrogates." Except that wasn't entirely true. Manticore still had the resources to take sperm and egg samples and implant them, though funding for surrogates had been cut. The entire breeding program was a way to get stubborn females under control. To give flight risks a reason to stay. And if 452 wasn't the most stubborn and flighty transgenic in all of Manticore, 494 would gladly walk back into Psy-Ops for another six month stay.

"Get out of my cell."

"I'm gonna be out of here in five minutes to go back to my cell, and you'll get rid of me for the night. Okay, 452?"

"My name's Max." He hadn't expected that. Hadn't expected her to want him to call her by name. He'd called her all kinds of generic endearments while they'd been copulating and she hadn't complained. He hadn't gone anywhere near his best lines.

"Whatever you say."

"You should have a name, too," she said, seemingly analysing him to determine which name would suit him best.

"Can't say I liked the name Dick."

Was she actually blushing? "As accurate as that was, we could do better. I'm gonna call you Alec."

"Alec?"

"As in smart aleck."

"I can live with that."

"Good. 'Cause you know what my second choice was."

Alec made his way out of her cell. Like the lack of copulation, the names weren't going to make it into his report.

x x x

Alec couldn't make his report until the next day as Renfro was busy. Even when he was summoned, Alec was forced to wait at attention while she finished reading some reports before she deigned to listen.

"Report," she said.

"X5-452 has successfully gained access to the Manticore basement from her cell. She has not yet successfully been able to access the grounds outside."

"And how did you let her get that far?" asked Renfro. "I thought you were under strict orders to ensure she did not escape by any means necessary."

Alec did not flinch. The only thing he hated more than failing an assignment was the punishment that came after it. "I-"

"Never mind," said Renfro, cutting him off. "You have new orders. You are to facilitate X5-452's escape from Manticore, preferably without drawing attention to yourself. Ensure that she makes physical contact with the civilian known as Eyes Only. She will have been infected with a genetically targeted retrovirus. Physical contact between the two will activate the agent. When symptoms present, inform X5-452 that he will soon die and that I will provide the antigen on the condition that both she and Eyes Only return here. I want to know what he knows and who he's working with. Is that understood, X5-494?"

"Yes ma'am," said Alec. But his mind was whirling with this new mission. Though it was a convoluted plan, he wasn't about to argue with it. But that didn't mean he didn't have questions. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

Renfro eyed him suspiciously. Since his latest stint in Psy-Ops, 494 had been the model soldier, as far she she knew. Perhaps he only wished to compensate for his failure to stall X5-452's escape plan. Whether he was planning a rebellion or not, it would be unwise not to let him say what he thought needed to be said. "Granted."

"X5-452 is pregnant," said Alec. "Would it be wise to infect her in that condition? The foetus may have an adverse reaction."

That wasn't what Renfro had been expecting. "Are you actually concerned about your offspring? You do know that the baby isn't actually yours, don't you?"

"Of course, ma'am," said Alec. "The baby belongs to Manticore."

"Then let Manticore take care of itself."

"Yes ma'am," said Alec.

"Dismissed."

x x x

Alec left the director's office feeling completely out of sorts. He was feeling things he'd never felt before. The only one he clearly understood was a fierce hatred of Manticore, although he wasn't entirely certain what had set it off. He was a soldier. He'd been told to copulate. So he had. He'd known that 452 would get pregnant. He'd known that he and 452 would not be raising the baby like a civilian couple. He'd known that it would be raised the way he had. That it would probably never know that he was its father. But that had been fine for him, why would it be any different for the baby? Why did he now feel like he couldn't go through with it?

Actually, it felt like this had happened before, but for the life of him he couldn't remember when or why. The ghost of a memory fluttered across his lips. It didn't matter. Manticore looked after Manticore and Alec... was no longer X5-494.

Decision made, Alec went into mission mode. He had to get Max out of Manticore before they infected her. He could use her escape route, but there were still the X7s outside to deal with. With a grin and a promise, he found out that Max was being held in Psy-Ops. Not exactly the easiest room to break out of, but if they were torturing her for information they wouldn't have infected her yet.

Renfro was already in the room with Max. She was strapped to the chair and struggling. But Renfro couldn't know that they were escaping or they'd never get past the basement. Alec revised his plan. If they'd created a retrovirus to infect Max, it was either in the room with Max and Renfro, or in the lab. He was seriously hoping for the latter. X5s weren't allowed in the lab and Alec didn't have any special friends in that department, but he wasn't a master of infiltration for nothing. So often Manticore forgot that the skills they gave them could be used against them.

Alec knocked out a lab tech as he was leaving, so quickly the man would never know who had attacked him. He used the man's keycard and, lifted the man bodily to use his eyeball in the retinal scan. The lab wasn't empty, but in a labcoat, and with the tech firmly hidden, no one gave him a second glance. They didn't actually expect that someone who wasn't allowed access could gain entry.

A quick sweep of the place didn't jump out at Alec. He sauntered over to the nearest tech as though he owned the place. Confidence was enough to make anyone look like he wasn't in the wrong place. He was taking a risk in helping Max escape from Manticore. He could take another risk here.

"Director Renfro is requesting the retrovirus for X5-452."

The lab tech didn't even look up. "Do I look like Reece?" He gestured to the other side of a room where a woman was looking up, having heard her name.

This time Alec took a second to read her ID badge before speaking. "Dr. Reece?"

"Yes," she said. "You're here for the retrovirus?"

"Director Renfro is ready for it now."

She unlocked a cupboard and handed him a test tube rack with four test tubes in it.

Alec pretended to drop it accidentally. The tubes smashed and spilled on the floor. "Please tell me that wasn't all of it," he said.

Reece stared at him in horror. "That was it. It'll take me another two hours to synthesise more."

Thank god. "Renfro is going to have my head," he said. "I'd better go inform her before she has time to get pissed."

"No," said Reece. "Don't. She'll have mine too for not making more. Stall her."

"Okay," said Alec, and exited the lab. He had no intention of stalling Renfro. He wandered back to Psy-Ops and waited for Renfro to leave. Two techs were in the room with her. When one left, Alec could only assume he was being sent for the virus, so Alec incapacitated him. When the second left, Alec did the same. He left them both locked up in his cell. Renfro called two guards in to stay with an unconscious Max, and left the room.

Manticore guards were never a match for an X5 unless there were four of five of them, armed. Only the fact that Max was currently unconscious would lead Renfro to leave fewer. They were too startled by Alec's sudden appearance to even grab their tasers before Alec took them down. He went to Max and shook her. "Wake up."

Her eyes opened but he could tell she was drugged. This was going to be the worst escape in the history of escapes from Manticore. Thankfully there was only one to compare it to. There was no way Alec was going to make it to Max's cell with an unconscious Max. He needed her functioning. He scanned the drugs that had been laid out but didn't see anything that could help. Seeing no other options (he was in too deep already), Alec lifted Max and began carrying her out of the Psy-Ops wing. The first part was easy enough. He'd already taken out every guard nearby.

Alec tried to think of alternate escape routes. He didn't have to use Max's route, but everything else seemed a too obvious. Alec knew that no one from Manticore went down into the basement if they could help it. Only the door was guarded. But to get past the X7s, Alec had to make one more stop.

The good news was that Max seemed to be waking up. The bad news was that she was not trying to fight him.

"Get away from me!"

"Max calm down," said Alec. "I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need help from you, ass." She reached out her hands to push him away, but just ended up falling onto him as she unbalanced.

"Renfro was interrogating you, remember? I'm getting you out. I am not the bad guy here."

Max looked up at him with slightly clearer eyes. "Alec?"

"Yes, Alec," said Alec. "We're blowing this popsicle stand tonight."

None of this seemed to make any sense to Max, but at least she stopped fighting him. Alec quickly found the right storage closet. It was keypad locked, but like a simple padlock, that was the only thing keeping the average person from accessing it. There was no alarm. Undoubtedly Manticore was cost cutting because although this storage space held equipment only used for missions outside Manticore's walls, it didn't contain weapons. The only thing Alec wanted was a signal jammer. He reached for the black box, and then they were on their way.

Now that Max was upright, they could walk through the halls as though they were exactly where they were supposed to be, and Alec quickly led Max to her cell, then had the guards lock the door behind them. He quickly reached down and pulled out the loose bricks. Not trusting Max in her condition, he went first.

"Come on, Max," he called when she didn't move quickly enough.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm getting us out of here."

"Why?" She paused. "How do I know this isn't some kind of trap?"

Alec let out a frustrated groan. "They wanted to infect you with some kind of virus to kill that Eyes Only guy."

"What?"

"Do you want Eyes Only dead or not? Let's go."

Max slid out and Alec caught her, setting her on her feet gently.

"So where was your big escape plan from here?" Alec asked.

"That window," said Max, indicating a barred window.

Had Alec known he might have stopped for a blowtorch, too. "That's going to take all night."

"Max outside?" a strangely accented voice questioned.

Alec turned, then stepped back in surprise as he glimpsed a dog-man. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Joshua first. Special."

"Hey big fella," said Max. "Wanna help us get out of here tonight?"

"Max outside. That's the plan."

"Great," said Alec, still warily watching the dog-man. He sized him up. "Help us out with the bars?"

Joshua stepped up onto the crates and easily pulled the bars from the window.

"Well that was easy," said Alec. He picked up the signal jammer and turned it on. It emitted a high pitched noise then went silent. Alec twisted the knob a little more.

"What's that for?" asked Max.

"X7s can't communicate supersonically now. They're as useless as very strong children now."

With the X7s unable to organise a coordinated attack, it was easy for Max and Alec to take them on one at a time. Making their way to the fence and jumping over it easily.

"Where to next?" Alec asked once they'd run far enough away from Manticore to be considered ordinaries.

"I don't know what the hell you're going to do," said Max. "But I'm going home."

"And that would be?"

"Seattle," said Max.

"Hey that's not too far from here," said Alec. "I was thinking of going the same way." Actually, Alec hadn't been thinking anything at all beyond escaping Manticore. Protecting Max seemed important, but on the other hand, Max could take care of herself. After all, she'd been living out here for more than ten years. Despite the wad of cash in his pocket and a couple of solo missions under his belt, Alec wasn't really sure how to survive on his own. Oh, he was sure he could do it. He wasn't sure that he wanted to, though. Up until an hour ago he'd still been well ensconced in the Manticore machine.

"We're less likely to get caught if we split up," said Max.

"And I will be out of your hair in no time," said Alec. "All I'm saying is, the least you could do for a guy who just helped you escape a clandestine government facility is put him up for a night."

"All right, fine," said Max. "One night. Then you go on your merry way and we pretend we never met each other."

"Sure, sweetcheeks," said Alec. "But I'm guessing it'll be harder for you to do that than me."

x x x

It was laughably easy to travel the rest of the way to Seattle. Max pretended to be a hitchhiker and the two of them hijacked a car. They dumped it just outside Seattle, then used their Manticore-given abilities to make their way through the sectors undetected.

Max paused at the bottom of a fancy apartment building. It wasn't the sort of place Alec would have expected her to live in. If only because places like this probably wanted to know everything about who you are. There was no way Max could live like that.

"This the place?" he asked.

"No," she said. "I just need to see a friend first."

Alec rolled his eyes. A friend, right.

"Wait here," she said.

Fat chance of that. But Alec decided to let Max think she'd gotten him to obey before following her up to an apartment.

He noticed that Max didn't knock on the door, she just picked the lock and waltzed in like she owned the place. Hell, maybe she did. Maybe Max was Eyes Only. It would make sense for someone like Eyes Only to disguise her gender as well as her identity.

Alec watched as a man played an Eyes Only message on his computer. Alec watched as the man noticed that Max was there. He watched the emotions play through the eyes that had just been displayed on the monitor.

And then Alec watched them kiss and it was as though someone had twisted a knife in his gut. As though someone had sucked all the air out of the room and he'd forgotten how to breathe.

"Well isn't that touching," said Alec. He looked at Logan. "I'm guessing you're the great Eyes Only." Luckily for him Alec had decided to interfere. It looked like Renfro's plan would have been right on the mark.

"And you are?" asked Logan.

"The guy who just saved your life," said Alec.

"I told you to wait outside," said Max.

"And I didn't say that I would," said Alec.

Max rolled her eyes. "Logan, this is Alec. He helped me escape."

"I wouldn't be bragging about that," said Alec. "Those were my orders."

Max was on him in a flash and Alec made no move to defend himself.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you about the virus," he said. "How else did you think he was going to get infected?"

Max released him. "Go home," she said.

"Can't," said Alec, looking around the apartment. He let out a low whistle.

"These are nice digs. Who'd you have to kill to get them?"

The other two people in the room were silent.

"That was a joke," Alec said.

"Ha ha," said Logan.

Max sighed. "We'd better get going. I told this one he could crash at mine for the night." She went over to Logan and put her arms on his shoulders. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Logan leaned forward and kissed her, and Alec looked away. "Hey, I just wanted a roof for the night. This place is huge. I bet you have a spare bedroom."

Max eyed Alec. "If you think I'm letting you out of my sight while you're still in the city, you're even more messed up than I thought."

"Aw Max, I didn't know you cared."

Logan's computer beeped.

"I have to finish my broadcast," said Logan.

"What broadcast?" said Alec.

"The one that finally exposes Manticore for what it truly is," said Logan. "Most importantly where it is."

"No," said Alec. "You can't do that."

"Why not?" asked Max, suspicion evident in her gaze.

"Just because I decided that what I wanted was more important than what Manticore wanted for once in my life doesn't mean everyone else there wants the same thing. You know what they'll do, Max. They'll kill everyone."

"Hold off for half an hour, Logan," said Max. "We've got some transgenics to save."

"What?" said Alec, as Max dragged him from the room. "I didn't agree to this."

"It was your idea," said Max.

"Oh no," said Alec. "I am not taking the fall for this one. When a thousand transgenics come out of Manticore's gates, you're looking after them."

"Be careful," Logan called after them. But Max didn't hear as Alec continued ranting at her as they made their way over rooftops to the vehicle they'd stashed only an hour ago.

x x x

That there were no X7s in the yard was the first clue that Logan had succeeded in spooking Manticore. Manticore was built to keep transgenics in, not to keep them out, so it was just as easy to get back into the building as it was to sneak into Seattle.

They knocked out a few guards on their way to the security room where all the locks could be accessed. It took Alec only a second to get all the doors unlocked. Another second to make sure they couldn't be relocked.

"You get the Xs," said Max. "I'll get the basement."

Alec rolled his eyes. But sometime today he'd started taking Max's orders, and he couldn't stop himself now. He went down the nearest corridor shouting, "This is not a drill. This is not an attack. Go to ground, people. Because Manticore no longer exists." Soldiers began exiting from their cells, jogging down the halls in an orderly fashion. "Escape and evade."

Max turned in the other direction to find the single door that led to the basement. Renfro came around the corner and stopped in front of her.

"We've got to get out of here, 452," she said.

"My name's Max," said Max. She saw the silver case that Renfro was carrying. The one she'd had earlier when she told Max that all they needed was the database to start all over again. Max couldn't let her do that. "And I want that database."

Though Renfro was military trained, Max was easily able to snatch it from her. Renfro pulled out a pistol. "You're coming with me," she said.

"No," said Max, kicking the gun out of Renfro's hands. "I don't think so."

She knocked out Renfro, then opened the briefcase. She pulled the database disks out and abandoned the rest. She didn't need to be slowed down at this point.

Remembering her self-appointed mission, she continued toward the basement. When she got there basement door it was already open. There was no movement within. Time to get out of here, then.

x x x

Max met Alec on the hill outside Manticore. They watched Manticore burn with different emotions playing over their faces.

"Come on," said Max, taking a step away. "I still owe you a roof."

Alec shook his head as he continued to watch. "My life's not back in Seattle," he said.

"I thought we agreed that it was for a night," said Max.

"Afraid you'll miss me?" asked Alec, a teasing smirk on his face.

"Not in this lifetime," said Max.

"Take care of yourself," he said seriously before walking away.

"You know where to find me when you get into trouble," she said.

He turned, but continued walking away backwards. "Trouble? Me?" He grinned at her. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and jingled them to get her attention. "I'm not the one who doesn't have a ride."

"Alec!" Max took off after him, but with the head start, he took off in the red convertible before she could catch up. Even transgenic speed was no match for a well maintained automobile.

Unable to hijack another car, Max had to walk back to Seattle, cursing blond-haired, hazel-eyed transgenics all the way. But when she got to

Logan's apartment, he still was waiting for her. "How did it go?" he asked her.

"Exactly as planned, up until the point where Alec ditched me." Max sank back onto Logan's couch.

"Why would he do that?"

"Who knows why he does anything? Good riddance." She pulled the database from her pocket and she threw it at Logan. He caught it easily. "Manticore's entire database."

Logan's eyes widened. "You know what we could do with this?"

"Grow our own transgenics?"

"This is proof that Manticore existed," said Logan. "I bet it has everything we need to know about who started Manticore and why. We can take down everyone who was ever involved in this project. Stop them from every trying it again."

Max smiled at him. "Still the same old Eyes Only. Trying to save the world one bad guy at a time." She kissed him gently on the lips. "I think that's what I always loved about you."

Logan pulled back and looked Max deep in the eyes. "I love you too, Max."

And from there, it seemed there was only one direction to go: Logan's bedroom.

x X X x

A/N: So that's the first chapter. Let me know if there are any missing scenes you might want to see. Let me know anything, really.


	2. Chapter 2

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: So, apparently I can't even keep up a once a day posting schedule more than one day. Sorry about that.

Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad to know this doesn't totally suck.

Chapter 2

Max awoke naked in Logan's bed long before the sun rose. He was still asleep beside her on his stomach, head turned away from her. The experience had been interesting. It was good, Max was sure about that. She could only imagine what it would have been like if Logan had still maintained control of his lower body. But the first time she had sex outside of heat with a man she loved, she'd thought there would be some sort of epiphany involved. She'd thought she'd finally understand why people were so obsessed with sex. It was nice waking up not feeling used and alone and like some sort of broken Barbie doll. But if she'd woken up alone with Logan in any other circumstance she was sure she'd feel the same way. Everything was the same. Nothing was different. And while that was comforting, it didn't feel like enough.

Max sat for hours contemplating the whys and hows of her relationship with Logan while he slept on, unaware. She was glad they'd been together. Glad that they'd had the opportunity to finally act upon the feelings that had been simmering since they'd first met. But that was also exactly what this felt like. The final act in a year long play. Not the start of a lifelong romance. It wasn't that she didn't love Logan. It wasn't that she didn't still think he was an amazingly attractive man. It was just that even when she added everything up, the numbers didn't balance. Or maybe the problem was that the numbers added up when they should have multiplied exponentially.

Eventually, Logan shifted, his hand finding Max's even as he blinked and reached for his glasses. "I could hear you thinking in my sleep," he said.

"Yeah," she said, not looking at him. "I should go. Thought it would be wrong to just leave you here."

Logan sat up and looked at Max, intelligence sparkling in his blue eyes. "This isn't what you thought it was, is it?"

Max forced herself to look into Logan's eyes. "I guess I built this into some fantasy that reality could never live up to."

"But, uh..." Logan searched for the words awkwardly before deciding to go with bluntness. "It was good for you, right? I mean, you weren't faking your orgasm, were you?"

Max goggled. "You are such a man."

"It's an honest question," he said. "After what we did I thought I'd be entitled to an honest answer."

"No," said Max. "I wasn't faking it."

"Good," Logan said, a smug smile creeping over his face.

In retaliation, Max took the sheets, wrapped them around herself and left Logan naked on the bed. She took her clothes with her into the bathroom and got dressed in Manticore uniform. She made a mental note to burn the clothes as soon as she got back to her apartment and changed into something more her.

When she got out of the bathroom, Logan was wearing a pair of boxer shorts and his exoskeleton and nothing else. "This doesn't change things, does it?" Logan said, indicating the mess that was left of the bed.

"That's the thing," said Max. "We're exactly what we were yesterday. I'm just the genetically gifted super-soldier who helps you on your mission to save the world."

"But we're still friends, right? I mean, you and me... we had more than just a business relationship."

"Still friends," said Max. "I will kick your ass at pool down at Crash any day of the week."

"With benefits?" asked Logan.

"Don't push it," said Max, and left Logan alone in his bedroom. It was time to get back to her real life.

x x x

Alec followed the trail of discarded junk food in disgust. That was a trail any non-Manticore baby could follow. What happened to escaping and evading? Alec wasn't sure why he was even on the trail except that they'd blown his set-up. He would never have been so careless even as a teenager, would he? X6s. Manticore really did give them fewer brain cells.

After Alec had left Max, he hadn't gone far. Again, a decision he didn't understand his reasoning behind. For the most part, it had been quiet, but keeping off the streets seemed like a good idea so Alec had holed up in the No-Tel Motel and hired himself a friend to keep him company and run errands without questions. And then the kids had blown it, brought the cops on his tail, so he'd had to hightail it out of there. He was not a happy camper.

"Daddy's home," he said, after he walked into the barn.

The kids lined up and started rattling off their designations. Alec wasn't interested.

He started in on his rant before he noticed the X7 standing by himself to the side. "What's that doing here?"

"He escaped the attack with us, sir," said one of the girls.

"Manticore wasn't attacked," said Alec. "I thought I made that clear when I let you all out."

"Sir?" questioned the taller of the boys.

"They tried to barbecue you," said Alec. "Us, since I wasn't smart enough to stay away."

But the kids weren't convinced, so they left. Alec looked around the barn. Besides its creepy X7 inhabitant, it wasn't such a bad place to lay low until the cops were off his trail. Plus they'd left behind snacks. There was one thing he could do about the X7, though. Alec left for his car and grabbed the signal jammer. He rethought it, and decided there was enough room in the barn to hide the Newport, too. It was a sweet ride he didn't want to lose just yet.

He switched the jammer on, watching the X7 closely. He immediately focused his attention on Alec and went into an offensive stance. Alec sighed. "That's what I thought." Alec almost decided on the easy route: simply running him over with the car, but who knew what that would do to the car's suspension?

It was a tough fight, but Alec's superior training and imagination got the kid knocked out quickly enough, despite the kid's superior strength and speed. He found some rope lying around the barn and tied the kid up. It was time to go. Alec dumped the kid about a half mile from the shed. And maybe he was starting to think like a daddy, but though his instincts told him to get far away from the spy's last known whereabouts he found himself returning to his hydrogenated pork products to see if any of the kids thought better of it and returned.

x x x

After Logan informed her of the signal in the sky, Max rode her bike to the rendezvous point as fast as she could. She got there just in time to stop a group of kids from being executed by firing squad. There was no time to think of where they were escaping to, even as she pulled the injured boy onto her bike. She followed their trail through the woods. They moved faster than her as they weren't following any sort of path. Her bike wasn't exactly made for off-roading.

Max wasn't sure if she was surprised to see Alec once she helped the kid with the bullet wound in. On one hand she'd never thought she'd see him again. On the other hand, he seemed like the sort that would show up wherever there was trouble. Together the cauterised the bullet wound, then Max had a moment to really think about their situation.

"We should really get out of here, you know," said Alec.

"And why's that?" Max asked suspiciously.

"Because these kids brought an X7 along with him, and let's just say he's not on our side."

Max looked around. "What did you do with him?"

"Dumped him a half mile away," said Alec.

"So why are you still here?" asked Max.

"I'm asking myself the same question."

"We need to get out of here," said Max.

"We're not all going to fit in the Newport," said Alec.

Max looked at the car. "You've still got that thing?"

"It's a classic," said Alec. "Well looked after. I feel kind of bad about jacking her."

"The guy who owned it was a creep," said Max. The only reason he'd stopped was because Max was an attractive female he'd thought he could have his way with without consequences.

"And I'm not? Thanks Max."

"Well, since you seem to know so much about cars, you think you can make that one work?" Max asked, pointing to the old truck nearby.

"Seriously?" said Alec. "The way I see it, I didn't have to tell you about our little spy."

"Then why are you still here?"

"Cops on my tail thanks to them," said Alec, nodding at the kids. "FYI, I'd avoid the next town over. They're wanted for knocking off a Kwik-E-Mart."

They needed to regroup at least two towns over. Time was not on their side and they had no transportation. Desperate times, thought Max. Hijacking had worked last time.

"Fall in," Max ordered. She explained their new mission status, then named them. Though she wasn't sure how much help it would be, she assigned Fixit the task of making the truck run. Once she'd found Bugler a place to sleep she turned back to Alec. "I'm going to secure us some alternate transportation. Try not to let anyone get killed."

"I'm not promising anything," he said.

Max groaned in frustration and headed out. Anywhere away from Alec would probably be a good place to be.

x x x

Max stood by the nearest road and stuck her thumb out whenever someone happened to drive by. The first three cars went straight on. The fourth slowed, and as Max reached for the passenger side door to open it, she realised who it was.

"Lydecker," she said.

"Max," he said.

Max didn't know exactly how she felt about Lydecker in that moment. As far as she knew he hadn't been pro-Manticore in a while. But it was his plan that had gotten her caught and sent back there in the first place.

"You need to get out of here," he said. "He's looking for you."

"Who is?"

"I'll explain on the way," he said, tapping the steering wheel impatiently. "Get in."

"Not getting in 'til you tell me why I can trust you," said Max.

"Look," said Lydecker, picking up a case and showing Max the screen. It was an image of her, and her entire DNA work-up.

"Where did you get that?" asked Max.

"From White," said Lydecker. "The man in charge of the team rounding up everyone from Manticore. Do you know what this says, Max?"

Max scanned the results. "So I don't have any junk DNA, big deal."

"The big deal is that that's unique among even transgenics," said Lydecker. "If he finds you he's not just going to kill you. He's going to rip you apart in the name of science. I don't want that to happen. You know you can trust me on that."

And Max did. Because in his strange, occasionally homicidal way, Lydecker loved Max and her siblings. And if anyone was going to have to kill any of them, Lydecker wanted to be the one to do it.

"Well you've got to help me out then," said Max. "I've got a few kids who need a ride."

x x x

Alec was more than surprised when Max sauntered back into the barn trailed by Colonel Lydecker. He felt his spine straighten automatically as he saw Lydecker, even as he told himself that not only was he no longer at Manticore, Lydecker hadn't been with Manticore longer than that. And there had been rumours that he'd helped Max and her friends take down the DNA lab. That seemed more than likely now that he was with Max now.

"494," Lydecker greeted him. If there was one thing about Donald Lydecker, it was that he knew every single X5 at Manticore by sight. He could tell the twins apart even when they weren't in their units. Instead of that endearing him to the soldiers, it worried them because if he knew that much, it was likely he knew a lot more.

"That's Alec," said Max, before Alec could correct him himself. She went on to introduce the rest of the kids by name and not designation. They were all asleep.

"I thought you were hijacking alternate transportation," said Alec.

"Lydecker's got wheels," said Max.

"Looks like you're all set," said Alec, standing up. "I'm out."

"Wait," said Max. "There's one more thing we've got to do." She looked out the window and they could clearly see the signal to regroup.

"You're kidding me," said Alec.

"If you want to be the hero, you can't be half-assed about it."

"Who said anything about wanting to be a hero?"

"Fine," said Max. "You can be my sidekick." She started shaking the kids awake.

And even though he had the opportunity, Alec still couldn't find it in himself to leave.

Lydecker turned to him. "She has no idea what she's doing."

Once the kids were awake enough to understand what they were being told, Max explained the plan. "Alec and I are going to take down that signal. Lydecker's going to take you two to my friend. He's going to get you all the papers you need to get to Canada."

"All due respect, Max," said Bullet. "You said we don't take orders from you. I'm going to help you take down the dish."

That was followed by the rest of the kids expressing their unwillingness to be left behind.

Alec laughed at the expression on Max's face and strangely he found himself sharing his mirth with Lydecker.

x x x

Dismantling the signal had almost been textbook perfect. They'd managed to avoid White, the man in charge, though there had been a few tense moments when Max insisted they save some scaly guy they randomly discovered against Alec's objections. But the guy had had their backs so maybe Max wasn't a completely hopeless case. Maybe she'd had the right idea letting everyone leave.

Max, Alec, Lydecker and the kids regrouped back at the barn now that they knew White's men wouldn't be coming after them. Fixit managed to get the truck running, then Lydecker left with a warning to Max that she had to be careful and that he was trying to get more information on who exactly White was working for.

They drove out to meet Logan in the early hours of the morning. He met them just outside Seattle, with the IDs and passports that the kids would need to get across the border. Max overflowed with sappiness, then had them remember the fallen.

It was then that Alec made his decision. He'd help the kids get to the border, but then he'd be back. He wanted to be a part of the baby's life, and Max was never going to let him do that if he wasn't around. He was going to stick to her like glue and she wouldn't have any choice in the matter.

x X X x

A/N: Once again, let me know if there are any missing scenes you might want to see and I'll try to post the next chapter on time tomorrow.

By the way, did anyone else ever notice at the end of the this episode (Bag 'Em) that Alec and the kids go in the same direction, away from Seattle? I like to think he secretly followed them to Canada to make sure they got there okay before coming back to bug Max.


	3. Chapter 3

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Woo, another chapter. Sorry about worrying you guys with the whole Max/Logan bit. They had to have sex so that their relationship could end. Lol. Plus, I was following soap rule number 1: no baby can be born without his/her paternity being in question.

Chapter 3

Alec hadn't meant to get into cage fighting. But when he'd come back from the border and tried to settle into Seattle, he realised just how expensive everything was. Then he'd seen the cash prizes for winning matches, and heard about the bets that people were placing. It was as close to legitimate employment a guy with no identity and genetically enhanced physical prowess could get. It was irresistible to Alec.

Of course, he knew this wasn't the sort of gig he could get away with for very long. His face would become too popular and White's men would notice. He just needed to make a bit of quick cash and get himself set up. Then he could show Max that he wasn't a completely horrible role model for a child to have.

He'd fight three matches. Four at the most. Fifteen or twenty thousand dollars would be enough to get him a decent place to stay, and the capital to get a little business going. He still had contacts willing to get him things. He just needed to find some new clients. And with all of Seattle on offer, Alec wasn't expecting to have much trouble in that department.

What Alec hadn't counted on was that he'd have to fight his way to the five thousand dollar prize. Not that he minded the fighting as long as no other transgenics had the same idea he'd had. The problem was the prizes for winning the lesser fights were much smaller. Then, since the fighters weren't allowed to bet on themselves, Alec had had to pay a guy to place his bet for him. And wouldn't you know it, the guy had run out before Alec could catch him. He would eventually, but it was not helping in the quick, easy cash scheme.

By the time Alec got to the five thousand dollar cash prize, he was only up two thousand dollars in prize money, which would mean finding a slightly greasier place to stay than the one bedroom apartment he'd been looking at. Even the lure of cash wasn't going to stop Alec from trying to preserve his life.

You could imagine Alec was more than a little pissed off when he found himself Tased at exactly the point when he'd decided to quit.

x x x

Logan called Max over to his apartment to talk about what he'd found in Manticore's database.

"It's not as much as I'd hoped it would be," he said. "There are no names, no addresses. It's basically just the science of everything. I mean, I found the recipe for that virus they were going to stick me with if Alec hadn't stopped them. But there's no mention of Sandeman, or the members of the board. Heck, there are no addresses for the Manticore facilities."

"What do you think happened to the other facilities?" Max asked.

"Well," said Logan. "Given they're trying to kill you and not round you up, I'd say they've been destroyed, too. Most likely at the same time, with less publicity. I don't have any leads on where, though."

Max let that sink in. In a way, she was responsible for so many people's deaths. But, she wasn't. It was Manticore's choice. Just because she knew they'd burn their facilities if they were exposed, didn't mean she was responsible for the deaths they caused.

"There is information on everything about every transgenic ever created, though," said Logan. "Even the ones who didn't make it."

"What about our mothers?" asked Max.

"Sorry," said Logan. "No names and no addresses. I think Renfro must have deleted everything when given the order to cauterise."

"Pictures?" asked Max.

Logan shook his head. "I'm not sure they thought that was important enough. After all, the mothers weren't in any way biological donors."

Max nodded. "Well, I guess, even if there isn't much we can use, at least White doesn't have it."

"Right," said Logan. He looked over at Max who seemed tense. "How about dinner?"

x x x

Max sat in Logan's kitchen as he chopped vegetables to make pasta sauce. She hadn't been sure about eating dinner with him, worried that he might take it the wrong way, but Logan had been very convincing about staying and even she found it hard to pass up good food. It was kind of comforting listening to Logan tell stories he'd heard from his informants while things bubbled away on the stove. She kind of thought this was what home might have felt like to a kid who didn't grow up in Manticore.

But she found herself drowsing as she sat, which was unusual. And even though the pasta dish that Logan was cooking now was one of her favourites, she felt kind of queasy thinking about it. And that was even more strange. Only when she'd starved herself a few days had she felt like this before, and that hadn't happened since Manticore.

Max got up to stir the sauce when Logan asked, but that burst of scent right into her face sent her scrambling for the bathroom. She didn't actually throw up, but she sat there by the toilet gagging for a moment, trying to settle her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked from the doorway.

"Fine," she said, though she was feeling the exact opposite. What had Manticore done to her this time? "I guess I had some bad sushi earlier."

Max was sure that Logan wasn't about to fall for that, but he didn't press. "Maybe you want to lie down on the guest bed for a minute."

And as much as Max wanted to argue with that, she really felt like a nap would do her good. "I could use a little cat nap," she said.

Logan was concerned, she knew. But this would pass. She was sure of it.

x x x

Alec cursed himself. There was an explosive inside his head just waiting to blow his brains out. This was not the way he intended to see Max again. But he couldn't exactly go to Max and tell her he'd killed three transgenics just so that he could live. He wasn't even sure he could kill three transgenics, period. Oh they'd be easy enough to find, but after spending a couple of days with the Kwik-E-Mart kids he didn't think he could stomach it.

Thankfully, Max was in the first place Alec looked: Logan's apartment. "He's so not ready to be out there in the world," she said to Logan before she noticed Alec's presence. "I put him there. If something happens it'd be my fault."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Max," said Alec. "Because I've got a little problem."

"Don't you people ever knock?" said Logan.

"What did you do this time?" she asked Alec.

"Why is it always my fault?" he asked. "All I've ever done is help you."

"Kicking and screaming the entire time," said Max.

"Still," he said. "I saved Logan's life and I haven't cashed in yet."

"You also haven't mentioned exactly why you did that," said Max.

"See this watch?" said Alec, holding up his wrist and ignoring Max. "When it gets to zero my head explodes."

"What?" said Max.

"I might have had a brief run in with that White guy," said Alec.

"Let me guess," said Max. "You thought you could run your game on a major bad guy who, it turns out, is a bigger scumbag than you imagined."

"Yeah, that's pretty much how it happened."

"Unbelievable," muttered Max.

"What exactly is going to make your head explode?" Logan asked.

"Microexplosive lodged against my brainstem," said Alec, holding up his thumb and forefinger to indicate its size.

"So any surgeon should be able to get it out," said Logan.

"I'd prefer a brain surgeon," said Alec. "But yeah, I guess so."

"You've got a few hours," said Logan. He looked at Max. "I'll call Sam." He walked away to make the call in private.

Alec noticed the tabloid sitting on the table. "Isn't that your dog-boy pal?"

"His name is Joshua," said Max.

"Guess I'm not the only transgenic on your to-save list, today."

"Guess not," said Max.

"When the doc gets this thing out of my head I'll help you out," he said. "Least I can do."

"Logan's got a few leads," said Max. "Thought I'd check out Terminal City. It's where I'd head if I was looking to lay low."

"Why? What's Terminal City?" asked Alec. If the transgenics were massing, it couldn't hurt to have a back-up plan.

Logan walked back in. "Sam says he can be here in an hour," said Logan to Alec. "He's a neurologist and he knows about Max. He's pretty sure he can get the thing out of your head without killing you in the process. It's up to you whether you want to risk exposure by having him call an actual neurosurgeon."

Alec thought about it. It was probably a better deal than he'd get anywhere else. He wouldn't need a neurosurgeon unless there were complications, since the explosive was beside, not inside his brain. "Sounds great," he said.

x x x

Dr. Carr showed up right on time. He smiled at Alec. "I'm Dr. Carr," he said.

"So you're the guy who'll be cutting open my head," said Alec.

Dr. Carr lifted the doctor's bag he was carrying. "I brought scalpels."

"Let's get this over with," said Alec.

x x x

They set up their miniature surgery in Logan's kitchen. Logan had wanted them to use the bathroom, but even his luxurious space wasn't big enough. Thankfully there was no need for a sterile field, with the transgenic immunity to common infections and biowarfare toxins.

Logan covered one of the counters with plastic, and Alec laid down on it.

"I don't have anything that can knock out a transgenic," said Dr. Carr. "So you'll have to hold very still."

"Hey the first guys didn't even bother trying to knock me out," said Alec.

"That's because they were trying to kill you," said Max. She moved around and clamped her hands against his ears. "I'll hold him down."

Alec's complaint was muffled, but it was obvious she had enough strength to hold him still if he happened to flinch.

The original incision hadn't fully healed when Sam got to it, so it was easy to locate the microexplosive without taking any images. It was out in a matter of seconds. It took longer for Dr. Carr to clean up the blood.

"Thanks doc," said Alec, staring at the little explosive that Dr. Carr had placed in a specimen jar.

"You can keep that," said Sam. "I'm afraid bomb disposal isn't my area of expertise."

It kind of seemed a shame to set it off. He looked at Logan. "Got anything you want to blow up?"

Logan gave him a look. "Your head?"

Alec grinned, then squashed the explosive on the floor under his boot. It didn't even make dent in the floor. "Well that was fun," he said.

"Thanks Sam," said Logan. "While you're here I was wondering if you'd take a look at Max."

Alec's head shot up as Max protested, "There's nothing wrong with me."

"What's wrong with Max?" Alec asked Logan.

"She was exhausted yesterday," said Logan. "And dinner made her gag."

"Well if you were cooking it, who wouldn't?" asked Alec.

"Logan's a great cook," said Max. "It's fine. I had a nap. I feel better now. As if it never happened. I guess I'm just a little stressed out."

"That's possible," said Sam. "Since you're you it's unlikely to be a virus or infection. But there are other natural causes." He looked at Logan and Alec. "Perhaps I could speak to you in private."

Max looked like she was about to protest again, but one look for the doctor silenced her. They went into the guest bedroom.

Alec began clearing the kitchen while Logan stared into space. He was suddenly possessed of the urge to comfort him. "Max is fine, you know," said Alec. "It's probably just that she's off the vitamins Manticore used to pump us with."

"Does that mean you have the same symptoms?"

"Me? I've been off those for years," said Alec. "They're a hot commodity at Manticore."

Strangely, Logan didn't seem convinced by Alec's show of sympathy. He went back to staring into space.

x x x

Max and Sam were in the bedroom far longer than Logan would have liked. If Alec was right and it was just Max's body adjusting to different levels of vitamins, that wouldn't require much of an explanation. And what had Sam meant about it being something natural?

Logan was distracted from his worry for a second as a call came in with the address of Joshua's last break in. Once again he looked at the closed door. How long was Max going to be in there?

"Does the name Sandeman mean anything to you?" Logan asked Alec. The transgenic had parked himself in front of Logan' television and all in all was acting like he hadn't just had a brush with death.

"Never heard of it before," said Alec, not turning away from the screen. He was watching some old western, laughing as the sheriff rounded up a couple of outlaws.

Max came out of the bedroom quickly, looking like a woman on a mission. "Have you heard anything about Joshua?" she asked. "We need to find him."

Sam followed her. "Would you at least try to take it easy?" he asked her.

Max ignored him. Logan did not. "What's wrong with her?" Logan asked.

Sam gave Max a look that said, 'If you don't tell him, I will, doctor-patient confidentiality be damned since you're not actually on my books and you can't sue me.'

"Dr. Carr thinks I might be pregnant," said Max, obviously not believing it for a second.

Alec just rolled his eyes. That was half the reason why he hadn't told Max yet.

"I took a blood sample to confirm," said Dr. Carr. "No one will see anything but me."

"Don't bother, doc," said Alec. "She's pregnant."

All three of them turned to stare at him. Through the entire exchange he hadn't looked away from the screen. They were surprised he'd been paying attention to their conversation at all.

"You knew?" said Max. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?"

"I'm still not sure that I do," she said.

"Well there's your answer," said Alec.

"This isn't important," said Max. "We need to find Josh."

"What do you mean this isn't important?" asked Logan. "You're pregnant with my child."

If there was anything in Alec's mouth he would have done a spit take. He turned the TV off and in the silence, everyone looked at him. "What makes you think it's your baby?"

Logan's jaw dropped and Sam looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.

Max's face was impassive.

Alec looked at Max. "I guess you didn't tell Logan how we really met."

"Alec, shut up," said Max. "What do you have on Josh?" she asked Logan.

Logan handed over the slip of paper he'd written the address on. "Joshua's last break in."

Max grabbed Alec by the ear and dragged him out of the apartment. "Watch the neck!" Alec protested as they left.

x x x

"We gonna talk about this?" Alec asked as they took his Newport to Sector 6.

"Joshua called Sandeman his father. Got a feeling he founded Manticore or something."

Not what he'd meant, but it was better than silent Max. "So dog-boy shows up on his doorstep, daddy freaks out and calls the cops? That doesn't make any sense."

"Which is why we're checking it out," said Max.

x x x

As Alec parked, Max jumped straight out of the car and stormed toward the house, breaking in the front door before Alec could catch up to her. Was she crazy? When Alec got inside, she had a man by the neck. It was a quick interrogation.

"Sorry," Alec apologised to the couple. "Pregnancy hormones," he said. He shouldn't have been surprised by the knee to the groin that followed that statement.

Needless to say Max was driving after that incident.

x x x

Since the first lead was a bust, the transgenic pair made their wat to Terminal City and interviewed a couple of bums before discerning that while there were some transgenics laying low there, the one they were looking for wasn't. Logan paged Max as they made their way back to his apartment.

"349 Whitney," said Logan. "Man has a dog-man cornered in his garage."

Max drove off with a screech of tyres that had Alec wincing.

x x x

When they got to the right house, the cops were already there. Max drove the car straight up the driveway, then leaped out, felling the female officer with one punch.

Alec followed and took down the male officer. They saw Joshua, but he took the opportunity to run away.

"Joshua!" Max called, but the man didn't return.

Alec got into the driver's seat. "Let's go," he said. He was going to have to change his plates again.

x x x

The tension was thick when they returned to Logan's apartment. Alec busied himself with the boob tube while Max stared out the window, ignoring all attempts by Logan to talk about anything other than Joshua. Alec was sure that at this point Logan was only helping Max out because the sooner they found Joshua, the sooner they'd be able to talk about something other than finding him. Alec thought there was a good chance Max would just never speak to him again.

"I think I figured it out," said Logan. He explained that the addresses that Joshua had been targeting came from an old phone book. And that there were two more addresses that he hadn't yet visited.

x x x

Max and Alec took Max's bike this time, and found Joshua exactly where they suspected he would be: at the next address.

"Father not here," said Joshua, staring at the space. "Not anywhere."

Alec took pity on him. "Well there's still one more address."

The three of them had to walk now that Joshua was with them, but it was easy for the Manticore-trained to walk through the darkness without being seen.

The last house was abandoned when they got there. Joshua looked around and picked up a book. "Father's house," he said, a smile lighting his face.

"You sure?" asked Max. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she guessed this was as good a place as any.

"His books," said Joshua. "I remember."

Alec looked around the place with a thief's eye. He couldn't see anything of value.

Max stared at the cane that Joshua showed her, seemingly remembering something.

"What is it?" Alec asked, startling Max from her memories.

"I think I met him once," said Max, continuing to stare at the cane.

"Father not here," said Joshua.

"Sorry buddy," said Alec.

"Looks like he hasn't been here in a long time," said Max.

x x x

Alec left Max and Joshua at Sandeman's house, then wandered into Logan's apartment. Logan was sitting in front of his computer with a drink.

"Thought you'd want to know we found Joshua and Sandeman's house," said Alec, leaning against the nearest wall.

"That's great," said Logan, pretending he wasn't surprised by the transgenic's sudden appearance.

"Max is with him," said Alec. "Looks like he'll be staying since the place was abandoned."

"So what are you doing here?" Logan asked, turning to look at Alec. "A phone call would have worked."

"About the baby," said Alec, not completing his thought.

"I guess you think it's yours," said Logan.

"I know it is," said Alec. "That's not the point." He sighed and lifted himself from the wall. "Max might not tell you because she's embarrassed, but it wasn't like either of us seduced the other. Manticore had this whole breeding program going. I was Max's breeding partner. I'm pretty sure nothing would have happened if she wasn't in heat."

"I get it," said Logan. "What happens at Manticore..."

"I just don't want you to think I'm the kind of jerk who'd steal another guy's girl."

"Noted," said Logan. He seemed to consider something, then said, "For the record, Max and I aren't like that. So if you did want to... I wouldn't think you were that kind of jerk."

Alec blinked. He'd been sure that Logan and Max were more than intimate. She'd been eating at his place just last night. He'd assumed that the baby was his. "I'm not exactly looking for a relationship at the moment," said Alec. "And I'm guessing that neither is she."

"But you are having a child together," said Logan.

"Because Manticore told us to. And made it so that she couldn't say no."

"Max might hate Manticore for that, but she doesn't hate you. That much is obvious."

"I'm just her sidekick," said Alec. "She steers. I'm just along for the ride."

"But if you didn't care about her, and the baby, even just a little. You wouldn't still be here."

Alec let the words sink in as he walked away.

x X X x

A/N: I swear, there is like no suspense in this story. I was going to hold out on the whole baby reveal, but it fell too easily into place here.


	4. Chapter 4

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: So, this is one of those shorter chapters I was warning you about. So as long as I remember, I should get the next chapter up in twelve hours.

Chapter 4

Max was not having a good day. Asha wasn't being understanding. Rafer had run her over. She'd lost her pager. Her bike was in pieces. She had no clue on how to find Sandeman. And she was pregnant... with Alec's baby, which was probably going to be the icing on the crap cake until she died.

"Hey," said Rafer, coming into Jam Pony to see her.

He was wearing a paramedic uniform as though to spite her. He really wasn't helping her out. Even if he had solved one of her problems by finding her pager and brought her lunch, which was kind of sweet.

"I'm not really hungry," she said, as they sat at one of the tables at Jam Pony. The whole pregnancy thing meant she had to eat even when she wasn't feeling it, though. Even if the whole room smelt like sweaty feet because that was the scent of Jam Pony. She picked at her food.

"Came by here looking for you a couple times," Rafer said. "No one knew where you were."

"I had to deal with some family stuff," she said, not looking at him. "It's complicated."

"Family stuff's always complicated."

"You have no idea." Max would bet money she didn't have that Rafer's family was not a bunch of genetically engineered super soldiers, some of whom didn't look human in the slightest.

"Thought maybe you had a boyfriend somewhere." Was he actually fishing there?

"That's complicated too."

Rafer looked up at her, inviting her to explain.

"I just got out of a relationship with this guy, Logan," she said, fiddling with a serviette. "We danced around each other for a year then when we got it together... it just wasn't."

"So you're not seeing anyone now," said Rafer.

"No, but it's still complicated," said Max. "The thing that happened between you and me happened with me and someone else about a month back. So, eight months from now, hello baby." Max didn't know why she was telling him this. She hadn't even shared with OC yet.

"So, uh, are you trying anything with him?" asked Rafer.

Max shook her head. "We're really not like that. We barely know each other. He's... trouble, I guess you could say. Almost got himself killed last I saw him."

"Sounds like you miss him," said Rafer.

"What? No way. I'm sure he's just out running some con or getting some other girl pregnant."

"See now you sound like you're worried about him. Or jealous."

"No," said Max. "No, no, no. There is nothing between me and Alec. That was a once in a lifetime mistake. You got me?"

"Okay," said Rafer, raising his hands. "If you ask me, though, he'd be lucky to be with you. Anyone would be."

Max looked up at him, as though really seeing him as more than just some random guy for the first time. "Rafer..." But she didn't know how to finish what she was saying.

"I'd better get back to work," he said.

"Yeah, me too." But Max made no move to get up.

x x x

Logan was waiting for Asha at Crash. Max would probably be with her and Logan needed to figure out how to apologise to her. He knew that he wasn't just jumping to conclusions when he connected the transgenic in Chinatown with the recent deaths, but it was wrong of him to not sort things out with Max before forcing her to do something for him that he needed done. He still wasn't exactly sure why she'd been so sensitive. Maybe that was why things hadn't worked out between them.

The guy beside him was asking the bartender about Max. And if that didn't set alarm bells off in Logan's head, nothing would.

"You know Max?" Logan asked. He didn't look like one of the guys from Jam Pony.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yup," said Logan.

"Rafer," the guy said, extending his hand.

"Logan," he said, shaking it. If he was willing to introduce himself, chances were he wasn't a threat to Max's safety or her secret.

"Right," said Rafer, and suddenly Logan thought he should know who this Rafer was.

"So how do you know Max?" Logan asked.

"Uh, we met a few months ago," said Rafer, sounding uncomfortable with the idea of telling Logan.

And it clicked in Logan's head. Just before Max had died and gone to Manticore, when they'd still thought they could make something of their relationship, she'd gone into heat and slept with a guy. This guy. "Right," said Logan. "She told me about you."

"Oh, really," said Rafer.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hold it against you. It's not like we were really dating or anything."

"She told me it was complicated."

Logan's laugh was mirthless. "It was," he said. "I guess we just couldn't give each other what we really needed. We're better off as friends."

Rafer looked around for a second as though he was afraid of being overheard. "So what's the deal with this Alec guy?"

"She told you about Alec? Wow, you guys must really have something. She didn't even tell me about Alec."

"She told me he was trouble."

"He probably is," said Logan. "But Max is trouble all by herself."

"Tell me about it," said Rafer.

"You know what?" said Logan. "I like you. So I'm going to give you a little piece of advice." He let Rafer lean in to hear it better. "Max keeps everything to herself. If she opens up to you about her family, you're set. If she closes herself off, don't even bother."

"So what about Alec?" Rafer asked again.

"I don't think Alec even knows what he thinks," said Logan, thinking back to the last conversation they'd had. "He'll always be an unknown in the equation."

"You've got to know more than that."

"I'm just laying it out for you, man," said Logan. "Enter at your own peril."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Rafer.

"Logan, Rafer," said Max, coming up to them with Asha in tow. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We just met," said Rafer.

"Uh-huh," said Max. "Well, this is Asha."

"Hi," said Asha.

"She and Logan have some business to deal with," said Max.

"I have your paperwork right here," said Logan, turning away so Rafer couldn't see that he was actually handing over a fake ID.

"So," said Max, sitting down beside him. "Talking about me?"

Rafer was sheepish. "Guilty as charged. Logan was just giving me the ex-boyfriend spiel."

"And what exactly does that entail?" asked Max.

"Oh, you know, 'The chick is crazy, you're wasting your time'."

Max laughed. "But in this case, that might just be true."

"The crazy part or wasting my time? Because let me tell you, crazy, I can handle."

"The crazy part, definitely," said Max. "As for wasting your time... As long as you know I'm not looking to get into anything right now."

"So, you'll let me buy you a drink? No ulterior motives, I swear."

"A beer sounds great," said Max, wondering what she was getting herself into.

"What about the..." He gestured toward her stomach. Max didn't actually think her transgenic metabolism would let the alcohol get far enough to hurt the baby, but when among ordinaries...

"Good point." She smiled. It was nice of him to remember. "Better make it a lemonade."

x x x

"Max, it's me," said Logan, when Max returned his page from the pay phone at Jam Pony. "We got a problem."

Max had a world of problems. "What is it this time?"

"There's a bioagent going off in Sector 4," said Logan. "They're targeting an X5. Maybe even all transgenics."

"Alec," said Max, immediately. "We have to make sure he's not there."

"I don't know how to contact Alec," said Logan. "He didn't exactly leave me his number the last time we talked."

"I don't have it either," said Max. "I called you from his cell phone that day we were looking for Joshua."

"Okay," said Logan. "I'm on it. But you need to help this guy."

"I'm on my way," said Max.

x x x

Later, at Sandeman's house, Max was surprised to see Alec show up. "Figured you'd be here," he said. He looked at the X5 sleeping in front of the fireplace. "That the guy who almost died?"

"Yeah," said Max.

"Just wanted to say thanks," he said. "For thinking about me. I was in Sector 12, by the way."

"But if you'd been there it could have been you," said Max. "Maybe you should give me your number."

"Why Max," said Alec, with a flirtatious grin on his face. "I thought you'd never ask."

Max frowned at him. "This doesn't mean anything," she said.

"Well, a sidekick's no use unless he's at the hero's beck and call." He walked over to get a better look at the sleeping X5's face. "692. We went on a couple of missions together."

"I've been calling him Guinea," said Max. "Since they wanted to use him as a guinea pig."

Alec laughed. "We were in Peru a couple of years back. Never meant to sample the local cuisine because we were on strict diets, but that never stopped anyone. Except 692. Couldn't stomach the idea of eating a guinea pig."

Max smiled. "Well that explains his face when I called him Guinea the first time."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"You ever think they're going to stop trying to kill us?" Max wondered in a moment of vulnerability.

"I think that day's a long time away from today," said Alec.

"I just don't want the baby growing up like this... just because he or she happens to have a few extra genes spliced in."

"You're not going to let that happen," said Alec. "You took down Manticore, you can take on the rest of the government."

"With the help of my trusty sidekick," said Max with a grin.

"Count on it," said Alec.

x x x

"Did I mention I was sorry for jumping to conclusions?" Logan said later on, to ensure that he and Max were okay.

"Yeah," said Max. "Anything turn up on Sandeman's cane?"

"Nothing but traces of rodentia calcium. The rats tried to eat it."

"Another dead end."

"Yeah," said Logan. "Listen, about the other night at Crash... If I told Rafer too much I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Max. "I think we could be friends. We talked. I got to thinking maybe my feline instincts aren't all bad."

"So you're going to see him again?"

Max shrugged. Her pager beeped. "I guess I'll find out," she said when she saw that it was Rafer. Logan's cell phone continued to ring. "You gonna get that?"

"It's Asha," said Logan.

"She likes you," said Max. "And she's not all bad, my furry little friends aside."

"I think it's too soon," said Logan.

And didn't that make Max feel all kinds of crap. "Sorry," said Max.

"Nothing for you to apologise for," said Logan. "It'll happen when it happens."

"In the meantime," said Max, looking at the phone. "What if it's an emergency?"

She laughed at the speed with which he picked up the phone and answered it.

Maybe she and Rafer would turn out to be nothing. But at least they could say they tried.

x X X x

A/N: So, I don't know why, but I kind of like Rafer. Ergo he was included... especially since otherwise I probably would have skipped over this episode entirely, since it's one of those sad Alec-less ones.


	5. Chapter 5

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Another short chapter. Another hopefully twelve-hour gap. Actually, that seems unlikely seeing as tomorrow's Christmas Day and that's a holiday I actually celebrate. Merry Christmas!

Chapter 5

"Hey Max," said Alec, surprising her as she began to unscrew the case off the baseball she was trying to steal.

"Alec," said Max. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Stealing a baseball. How 'bout you?"

"That's none of your business," she said.

"Well I was thinking about the baby," he said as he hung off his rope. "Figured I'd swipe this ball, give half to the baby's mother..."

"Yeah, right," said Max.

"I'm serious," said Alec.

"You wanna help me out? Get a job. Find out what it's like to live in the real world."

"I'm sorry, is this what you call your real-world job?"

Hanging from a rope dressed in a cat burgling outfit, Max didn't have a leg to stand on. "Maybe I was thinking about the baby, too," said Max. "Gonna need a new place."

"You're carrying the baby; thought I'd contribute to the finances," said Alec. "So why don't you go on home and get some rest? I'll finish this up. I'll fence this thing and get you the money tomorrow, huh? What do you say?"

Max lifted the lid off the case and set it down gently. "A, I don't believe you, and B, I don't believe you."

Alec grabbed the baseball. "Give it back!" said Max.

"I'm offering you half, Max," he said as she tried to take it from him.

"Yeah, right. I got here first!"

They continued to argue, and in the struggle, neither of them got the baseball. They had to make an undignified exit when the alarm went off.

"For the record," said Alec when they were standing on the roof again. "I really was going to give you half."

"For the record," said Max. "I really only wanted one last score before I got too far along for it to be possible."

"You've got months before you get that fat," said Alec.

"Gee, thanks," said Max.

"As a token of your appreciation, can I get a ride home?"

And how could she refuse that cheeky grin?

x x x

"I cannot believe this," said Max as Alec walked in the door. Alec was her other life. He was not supposed to just stroll into the normal life she'd made for herself.

"Who's that?" asked Original Cindy, looking him over.

Max had still yet to tell her best friend about the bun in her oven. And so she had to keep Alec away before he spilled the beans to her the way he had to Logan. It was tough enough keeping Rafer away from OC. She didn't need to add Alec to the list.

"You don't want to know," said Max. She left OC and went to talk to Alec. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in an angry hiss.

"Max, you told me to find a job. I figured what better place than somewhere I already have a friend?"

"Whatever. This'll only take a second." She turned to Normal. "Hey Normal! Loser looking for a job."

Normal didn't look up, keeping his back turned to Max and Alec. "No jobs here. Got enough of you slugs to keep me in Maalox 'til the cows come home."

"Oh well," said Max.

"Hey," said Sketchy, coming toward them. "Aren't you that boxer dude?"

"You're Monty Cora!" said Normal, recognising Alec.

Max felt like she'd tripped into some alternate universe. Normal was giving Alec a job that didn't exist because he was some sort of famous boxer. Just what had he been doing all those days he hadn't managed to run into her? So much for laying low.

The worst part was that Normal actually seemed to be thanking her for bringing Alec their. She'd done no such thing. But at least being sent on a run together would give them a chance to talk, where she could explain to him that joining their lives together would be a very bad thing.

x x x

"Monty Cora?" said Max as they walked toward the house that was their first stop.

"It's a play on 'Manticore'," said Alec.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that. Way to lay low."

"Why don't you relax?" said Alec. "Clearly I've moved on to a more mundane life."

"I'll start when you cover that barcode," she said, pulling his collar up as Alec flinched away from the touch on his neck. "Now remember, be polite."

Alec was not polite. He also appeared to be perfectly willing to rob an old lady.

Max's jaw clenched. "You know," she said as they walked back to their bikes. "This is why they think they're justified in trying to kill us."

"Because I'm too adorable for words?"

Max smacked the back of his head. "Next time White isn't going to give you twenty-four hours," she said. "He's just going to put a bullet in your brain."

"I know that, Max," said Alec. "But you've got to learn to lighten up. Else our baby's going come out with a stick up its ass."

Max blinked at him, as he got on his bike. That was the first time he'd referred to the child she was carrying as their baby. Did that mean he intended to be its father? But he'd never even mentioned to her that she was pregnant. He hadn't actually stood in front of her and claimed the baby.

Back at Manticore he'd only slept with her so that Manticore could have a baby. Now that Manticore was no longer around didn't that mean the only change to his part was that she would be the one raising the baby? But he'd said that he was willing to at least pay for some of the expenses a baby caused. That was something.

Max sighed as she followed Alec to their next delivery. There was a reason why she'd been trying not to think about this whole situation. Headaches and pregnancy really didn't mix.

x x x

Sketchy had invited Alec to have a beer at Crash after work that night. Alec wasn't above befriending anyone so he'd tagged along even though he was sure Max didn't approve. Or perhaps _because_ he knew he didn't have Max's approval.

Alec hadn't been trying to hustle Sketchy, but the guy didn't seem to know when to quit. Soon enough Sketchy found himself out eighty bucks, and the least Alec could do was spend it on his friends.

"Ladies, let me get the next one," he said. "Skippy here owes me about eighty bucks' worth of beer."

"It's all right, you don't have to," said Max.

"No, no. I want to," said Alec. He looked at Max. "So what do you want?"

"Beer's fine," said Max.

"Seriously?" Alec raised an eyebrow at her. He eyed OC and Sketchy. "Why Max," he said. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were ashamed."

Max had him by the collar in an instant. Alec raised his hands in surrender. "They're going to find out," he said, losing his teasing expression. "You won't be able to hide it forever."

"What my boo chooses to say to whom ain't none of your business, pretty boy," said OC, obviously thinking it had something to do with Max being transgenic.

"Whatever," said Alec, pulling Max's hand from his collar. He grabbed the pitcher and went to the bar followed by Sketchy.

"Okay, sugah," said OC. "I think I might see where you're comin' from."

Max watched Alec go. "He's right, though," said Max. "I should have told you weeks ago."

"Told me what?" asked OC. "You know you can tell me anything, boo, and I ain't gonna pass judgement."

"I'm pregnant," said Max.

Original Cindy looked like those were the last words she expected to come out of Max's mouth. "Like with a baby?"

"I know Manticore cooked up some crazy crap," said Max. "But even if it comes out all cat it'll still be a baby."

"Manticore? So it's not Logan's?"

"Nope," said Max, her eyes automatically drifting toward the back of Alec's head. She could still see the top of his barcode sticking up over his jacket collar. "We were only together once, and he used protection."

"Original Cindy is glad she don't have to worry 'bout none of that when she gets some."

"Anyway, Manticore assigned us breeding partners. Alec was mine. I was in heat and he was following orders. It was more than twice in one hour."

"Damn," said OC. "Just when I thought they couldn't get more kooky."

"Tell me about it," said Max.

The men returned with a pitcher of beer. Alec had a glass of water for Max and one for himself. OC raised an eyebrow when she saw that.

"You guys hear about the sector cop that got attacked by a mutant last night?" said Sketchy. And unknowingly, Sketchy became the target of a three-pronged attack designed to convince him that the truth was not out there.

x x x

Max comforted Joshua as he buried his brother.

"Go away," said Joshua.

"I can't," said Max. "Joshua, you saved my life. Not just my life, my baby's life, too."

Joshua sniffed Max. "Max having little Max?"

"Or a little Alec, yeah," said Max.

"Max and Alec gettin' busy?" asked Joshua.

"No," said Max. "That was a one time deal. But the baby's going to want to get to know his uncle Josh. I want you to be glad to be alive. For the baby." And Max took one of his hands and put it over her stomach, even knowing that he wouldn't be able to feel anything yet. "Tell me about him. I want to know Isaac the way you did."

Joshua smiled. "Isaac was father's favourite..."

x X X x

A/N: As you can probably tell, I had no idea what I wanted to add to this chapter. Let me know if you want me to write out a deleted scene for you. I have a feeling this and the last might have been a little confusing since I didn't want to entirely write out the episodes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Happy Christmas! Or happy Sunday if you don't celebrate that. Next chapter should be up tomorrow.

Chapter 6

Alec stared out across Crash. He'd helped Max get her brother back, even though it had been hazardous to his health. And though he could see that Max was thrilled with the situation, he knew that there wasn't something quite right with it. So when Max got up to grab another pitcher, he went with her.

"Max, Max, let me ask you a question. Think there's something a little, uh, a little off about Brother Zack?"

"Like what?" Max's expression warned Alec to tread carefully. But he'd rarely heeded Max, and so no reason to start now.

"Well, for starters, he doesn't act like any brother I've ever seen."

"You got something to say, Alec, spit it out."

"Seems to me like he's got the hots for you. It's kinda kinky, if you ask me."

"I didn't. And stay out of it."

Alec wasn't deterred. "I mean there's the whole you and me thing and then there's the fact that I look exactly like brother Ben so maybe you're into that sort of thing-" Yeah, that punch shouldn't have surprised him.

"I don't want to know what goes on in that sick little mind of yours."

"That hurts," he said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Truth always does."

Seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with Max, Alec returned to his seat.

"Wonder what's keepin' my girl," said OC, noticing that Max wasn't back yet.

"Well, I'd give her a hand, but she'd just bite it off."

Zach got up and walked away.

"There goes her knight in shining armour. Oh, God forbid our little Max have to lug a big, heavy pitcher of beer with her delicate little hands, huh?" Alec frowned. "What?"

"You're not jealous, are you?" asked OC.

Alec shifted in his seat. "I just need a drink."

"Thought you were abstaining 'cause of Max," said Original Cindy.

"Well I don't see Max here, do you?" said Alec. "I'm getting a drink." He stood and walked toward the bar, frowning when he realised that both Max and Zack were missing. Since he was pretty sure Max had no reason to go off with Zack in private, that worried him a little. So much for getting a drink. He stepped up to the bartender. "Where did Max go?"

The man was holding ice in a towel against his wrist. "With some Steelheads."

"And you told Zack that?" asked Alec.

"Yeah," he said.

Alec groaned and took off. Once outside he looked for any sign of Zack or Max, but Zack hadn't left a trail. Manticore had taught him better than that. "Damnit!"

Max had been kidnapped by Steelheads. Steelheads who couldn't give a crap that she was pregnant. And her only hope was Brother Zack, with half his memory missing. With no other recourse, he headed for Logan's place.

x x x

Alec was in Logan's apartment as Logan tried a last ditch effort to figure out where the Steelheads' hideout was, despite numerous failed attempts in the past. Alec was pacing. He was an action man. He didn't like sitting around when he knew that Max was in trouble. It was a strange feeling; to care that someone was missing. The closest he'd come was when one of his fellow soldiers went MIA. But then he didn't need to be the one making the decisions. He just had to follow directions. And wasn't that most of the reason why he'd wanted to stay at Manticore? Why he'd clung to Max even when he'd thought Logan would take care of the baby for him?  
>Logan's cell phone rang. Alec tuned in, wondering if it was Max, somehow able to get a message to them.<p>

"Get out of the apartment, Logan. Now."

It was Max.

"Max, what's wrong?" Logan asked. But Alec could take a direct order from Max. He was already grabbing Logan's keys and pushing his exoskeleton toward the man.

"It's Zack," she said. "He's coming after you. Get out!"

Alec helped Logan get into his exoskeleton, then handed the man his keys. He then went ahead and pressed the elevator button. Logan got in. Alec was about to follow him when he heard the sound of someone crashing into the apartment through the skylight.

Alec went into the apartment to engage Zack. The other X5 had lost the flesh covering on his face and he looked more machine and inhuman than Alec had ever seen him. Alec dropped into an aggressive stance.

"Get out of my way," said Zack.

"Let me think about it. No." Alec kept on the balls of his feet, continuing to stand between the X5 and Logan.

Zack came at Alec with the hand in his exoskeleton. Alec dodged the hit and took a step back. He circled Zack slightly, and feinted with his right hand, getting Zack on the jaw with his left. Before Alec could follow it up with another hit, Zack was gone, having successfully manoeuvred Alec out of his way. Apparently he didn't think Alec was much of a threat.

While Zack tried to jimmy open the elevator doors, Alec headed for the emergency stairs. He jumped down one flight of stairs at a time, hoping to get to Logan before Zack could do any permanent damage. He didn't have time to wonder why Zack was going after the ordinary in the first place.

When Alec got to the parking garage, he saw Logan in his car, about to start it, and Zack walking toward him like the Terminator.

"Zack!" he called, trying to distract the other man.

Zack kept going without sparing the other transgenic more than a peripheral glance and Alec wished he had a gun. Max would probably kill him if he actually shot her brother, but he didn't really see many other options. Zack shot Logan's car, shattering the windshield, causing Logan to duck.

"Drop it or I'll shoot!" Alec yelled, though he didn't have a weapon on him.

It was enough to turn Zack's full attention to himself. Alec ran forward and knocked the gun from Zack's hand. On more even footing now, Alec went for Zack's neck. He had him in a stranglehold, mirroring their first encounter. But Zack's augmented arm was stronger and he threatened to break Alec's wrist. "Why are you helping him?" Zack asked, when Alec finally had to let go. "He's a traitor."

"Who exactly did he betray?" asked Alec, looking for another opening.

"Max," said Zack. "He's the reason why she died." Alec had never heard the whole story of how Max was recaptured and returned to Manticore. He knew that Max had been shot trying to destroy the DNA lab and that Zack's heart had replaced hers. He hadn't known that Max had actually died.

"But she's alive now," said Alec, saying the only thing he could. "And she obviously doesn't mind since she's been hanging out with him all this time."

Zack decided the time for talking was over, and attacked Alec, cuffing him on the side of the head so quickly that Alec saw stars. He blinked them away as he lashed out with a leg, hoping to get Zack's from under him, but Zack danced back quickly.

And suddenly Max was there, and it became two against one. It was then simple for Alec to hold Zack down to give Max the opportunity to deal the knock-out blow.

x x x

Max and Alec were both there when Zack woke up. Logan was in the next room with Dr. Carr. They'd cuffed him to the bed and removed the exoskeleton from his arm. They were hoping Manticore hadn't succeeded in fully brainwashing him. Max hovered over the bed, while Alec reclined on a chair in the corner near the door.

The first thing Zack said was, "Max."

"Hey Zack," she said, smiling at him in the way she reserved for her siblings.

"Why am I restrained?" he asked.

"Maybe because you tried to kill us," said Alec.

"I wasn't trying to kill you," said Zack. "Eyes Only is a traitor."

"Zack," said Max. "Eyes Only is a traitor to Manticore. And we aren't loyal to Manticore anymore."

Zack shook his head, blinking his thoughts away. "I know that," he said. "I know that you love Logan and that because of that I can never harm him. But I also know that there is still a part of me that will kill him if I see him again."

"We all get that urge sometimes," said Alec. "I think it's those beady little eyes."

"Alec!" Max snapped at him.

Zack eyed the other male transgenic. They hadn't had an opportunity to get to know each other over the past few days. That didn't worry him so much as the fact that he didn't know how Alec related to Max.

"Well I haven't killed him yet," said Alec.

Zack almost laughed. He could like the other transgenic, the one with Ben's face. It made him miss his brother, and he wondered if that was why Max kept him around.

"If you're going to kill Logan when you see him," said Max. "You can't stay here. But I can't let you go if you're going to feel the need to kill someone else."

"Send him off with your sibs," said Alec with a roll of his eyes. "Isn't that what family's for?"

"I don't remember how to contact them," said Zack.

"But I bet Logan does," said Alec.

x x x

Max couldn't believe she, Zack, Syl and Krit were all in the same room together again. They spent an afternoon together, catching up on everything. Syl and Krit had taken in a couple of Manticore strays since the facility had burned down. They were both glad to see Max and Zack alive and if not entirely mentally well, at least they were both alive.

Max had had to tell them all about her pregnancy. It just wasn't something she could keep to herself. Syl had gushed, and Krit had been a little disgusted. Zack had more than worried. He almost refused to leave. But he couldn't force Max to go with them, and he couldn't force them to let him stay. It was good to be around his unit again. They put him back on steady ground and he felt sane for the first time since he'd remembered Max.

"We'll come back when the baby is born," Syl promised. "I can't wait to meet my niece or nephew."

"Promise you'll keep Zack safe," said Max.

"Of course," said Krit. He smiled at his brother. "And he'll keep us safe, too."

"I wish we could keep in touch," said Syl. "I want to know everything."

"It's still too dangerous with White trying to round us up," said Max. "I wish we could, too."

"One day," said Krit.

"Yeah," Max agreed. "One day."

x X X x

A/N: So, this is about the most action you'll get in this story. It actually amazed me to see how much drama is removed from season two when Max isn't virus infected.


	7. Chapter 7

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Here's your Boxing Day present. Hope you have fun unwrapping it.

My Boxing Day present was having to re-read this chapter. I think half the words required to make it make sense were missing, so some might still be AWOL.

I should probably mention that I've never been pregnant so I don't have first-hand experience in pregnancy matters. I intend for anything that seems a little off to be put down to Max being transgenic and having a transgenic baby.

Chapter 7

Standing in front of the mirror in her room, Max couldn't deny one thing to herself. She was getting fat. She had been trying to find something to wear to work, but apparently even the pair of jeans that had fit her yesterday was refusing to button up. Though Max wasn't prone to hormonal changes in temper, she found herself on the cusp of tears. Thank heaven for Original Cindy.

The woman coaxed Max into a pair of her own jeans, even though the legs were too long. But before Max could collapse into a fit of tears about that, OC had pointed out that this meant she could wear higher heels than she was used to. And that little bit of fanciness was just enough to pull Max from the brink.

She was going to need an entirely new wardrobe soon. But even though Alec had handed over money from the incident with the Steelheads, she felt bad about using it on herself. That money was for the baby and though it was the baby forcing her to grow out of all of her clothing, Max didn't feel right about using it. She needed some cash of her own if she was going to treat herself to a wardrobe that was going to be irrelevant in six more months.

And then Logan called with an emergency of some kind, and that made Max feel all kinds of better about herself. Because fat or not, the great Eyes Only still needed her help. That was all kinds of flattering.

x x x

"There is no way that I am baby-sitting for you," said Max. It was so not flattering for the great Eyes Only to ask the pregnant woman to watch his niece.

Logan just gave her a look. "Think of it as practise," he said.

Max shook her head. Nope, not doing this. Then had an afterthought. "Why don't you call Alec?"

"Alec?" said Logan. "You think a genetically engineered, military trained borderline psychopath is going to be better at baby-sitting my niece than I am?"

"What's a psychopath?" asked Brittany. She'd been hiding in her fort and had been temporarily overlooked.

Logan's eyes swivelled toward her as he remembered she was still in the room.

"He needs practise, too," said Max. There was no way she was letting Logan get away with this chauvinistic behaviour.

"Does that mean you've made a decision?" asked Logan, looking at Max seriously.

"What decision?" asked Max.

"You and Alec."

"There is no me and Alec," said Max. "But the baby is ours, so I guess I'll have to share."

"Don't you think you should maybe talk about it?" asked Logan.

"Eventually," said Max. "We've got months, and-"

Brittany tired of being ignored and interrupted. "Uncle Logan, I'm hungry!"

x x x

They ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the kitchen. Despite her initial reaction, Max was kind of glad that Logan had called her over to help baby-sit. She had a feeling that being a mother was going to be the toughest experience of her life. A challenge that Manticore most definitely never got around to preparing her for.

"You never told me what a psychopath was," said Brittany. Max suspected that the girl was as smart as her Uncle Logan and knew exactly why they hadn't told her the meaning of the word.

"Uh, well..." Logan stuttered something that didn't add up to an explanation.

Brittany turned her big eyes on Max.

"A psychopath," said Max. "Is someone who has trouble telling the difference between right or wrong."

Logan stepped in. "And I didn't say that Alec was a psychopath. I was exaggerating to make a point."

"What point?"

"That you'd have much more fun hanging out with me than with him," said Logan.

"I want to meet the psychopath," said Brittany.

"Somehow, I don't think your mother would approve," said Logan.

"I won't tell if you don't tell," said Brittany.

"Sorry, Britt," said Max. "I think he's working. So maybe another time, huh?"

"But I want to meet him NOW!" She made to run away somewhere, but Max caught her. Brittany struggled, but Max held on, even when the girl kicked her in the stomach.

"Whoa," said Max. "That's not very nice. You know there's a baby in there?"

That quietened Brittany. "A baby? Really?"

"Yeah," said Max.

"Who put it in there?" asked Brittany.

"The baby fairy," said Logan.

"There's no such thing," said Brittany. "Mom said that babies come from a mom and a dad. So who's the dad?"

Well that was a slightly easier question. "He's this borderline psychopath you might have heard of," said Max.

"Really?" said Brittany with a smile that turned into a yawn.

Seeing it, Max said. "How about I read you a story in your little fort?"

Brittany was old enough to know that that really meant nap time. And she was tired, but she wasn't against getting her way just a little bit longer. "How about you tell me a story about the psychopath?"

"Sure," said Max... if she could think of one that could be at all G-rated.

x x x

"So they ran away together and lived happily ever after," said Max, ending her heavily edited version of how she and Alec met.

"Wait!" said Brittany, startling herself out of her microsleep. "That can't be the end of the story."

"Well, why not?" asked Max.

"The prince and princess didn't get married," said Brittany. "And they didn't overthrow the evil king and queen."

"Well they did do that," said Max. "And they rescued all the other princes and princesses, even the ones the king and queen locked up in the basement because they were a bit funny-looking."

"Good," said Brittany. "And then they got married."

"Uh, yeah," agreed Max reluctantly. "Then they got married. And lived happily ever after."

"What about babies?"

There was a knock on the front door and Logan came in with the woman who must have been his cousin.

"Mom, can Max baby-sit me again?" Brittany asked after greeting her mother with a hug.

"If that's okay with her," said Bitsy, looking at Logan.

"She's a friend," said Logan, hoping to squash whatever she'd been thinking.

"I'm having one of my own in six months," said Max, with a hand on her stomach. "I could use the practise."

Bitsy grinned. "Sure. Any friend of Logan's."

"It's not mine," said Logan, feeling the need to clear that up.

"Oh," said Bitsy.

"And I want Alec to baby-sit, too," said Brittany.

"Alec?" Bitsy turned questioning eyes on Logan and Max.

"He'd be the baby's daddy," said Max.

"Well, I'll get your number from Logan," said Bitsy. "Should the need arise." The subtext that the need would never was only lost on Brittany.

"Bye Brittany," said Max with a wave.

"Bye Max!"

x x x

Alec had gone to get Max immediately upon realising that the girl in the tank was from Manticore. But now they were back outside the tavern and Alec knew that Max was not going to like what he had to say next.

"There's one problem. There's no ladies allowed inside-not unless they're working."

"What?" Max stiffened.

"That's okay, there's a line around back. Girls show up, and management picks the good ones." Alec pressed on in an effort to steamroller Max into going along with it before she thought too much.

"No way!" Max actually seemed to pale at the thought.

"Come on, Max, don't sell yourself short. I mean, you've got a decent shot."

Max frowned. "Look at me, Alec!" she said, gesturing to her stomach. "I'm fat!"

And that not been how Alec expected this to go. "You're not fat," he said in complete disbelief.

"Oh yeah? Then why couldn't I manage to button up a single pair of pants this morning? These are OC's jeans."

"It doesn't matter what you're wearing," said Alec.

"What do you mean? As long as I take it off?"

"No," said Alec, quickly trying to back track. "That's not what I meant. I mean you look beautiful in whatever clothes you're wearing. None of the girls in there could even dream of competing with you."

"And I suppose you'd know all about that," said Max. Was that jealousy colouring her tone?

"So maybe I've been here a couple times," said Alec. "That just means I know what they're looking for. Today, that's you."

"You really think so?"

"Yes," said Alec. "Absolutely. Now can we please get in there before White shows up?"

Max put her game face on and shrugged out of her jacket. She thrust it at Alec.

x x x

It was a different Max, that Alec saw when she got inside. He'd gotten himself a drink, just to look like he was blending in, but he was waiting for Max. She seemed to have gotten over her momentary lapse in self-esteem and was strutting around like she owned the place. All the men were staring, but she didn't give any of them the time of day. Not until Alec stalked over and engaged her in conversation. He pulled an arm around her waist and she didn't resist as they moved close together. She was the hottest thing he'd seen that day. But they were here to work.

Alec whispered into her ear. "See him? No drink, no girls. He's been casing the place the entire time."

"Yup. Looks pretty shady to me."

Max watched the man over Alec's shoulder as they talked over the girl's situation and their plan to get her out.

Sketchy interrupted them."Hey, Max! I didn't know you worked here."

Max wanted to hide her face in Alec's shoulder. Damn hormones were still working a number on her. The validation she'd felt in knowing that she was still sexually attractive had completely evaporated, replaced only with humiliation. It was one thing to be seen by skeezy strangers and Alec who had already seen her naked, but Sketchy and Normal? How could she hope to work with them after this?

Then Max realised that she should actually be pissed. Alec should have told her they were here. "Listen, Sketch," she said. "You tell anyone I was here and I will end you."

Sketchy looked between Max and Alec and seemed to make a connection somewhere. "Oh, right, right," he said. "My mistake. I'll leave you two to it. Just wanted to tell you we were leaving, anyway." He held his hands up as he walked away backwards a couple of steps before leaving the building.

While they'd been distracted by Sketchy, the situation by the tank had changed. A fight had broken out between a couple of patrons and the guy who'd been casing the place. And the guy was actually holding his own. Up until one of the security guards tried to intervene. Then all of a sudden water was gushing out of the guy's suit and Alec and Max realised they'd had the wrong idea about him.

x x x

Max and Alec quickly pulled the fishy transgenic from the club. Max only signing a quick apology to the girl in the tank before they left. She seemed to understand. Max wished there was some way to get the woman out now, but they hadn't exactly come equipped to rescue anyone who needed to breathe water to survive.

The trip to Logan's apartment wasn't far. It was the nearest place they could think of. Max knew he was home, with Asha taking care of him after he'd contracted the chicken pox. The pair of them just stared as Max and Alec walked in carrying a man straight into Logan's bathroom and turning on the shower.

Asha looked like she wanted to say something.

Max cut her off. "Not all of my friends are furry," she said.

"Furries?" questioned Alec. "There something you're not telling me?"

Max hit his arm for the comment. Remembering earlier, she punched him a second time.

"What was that for?" asked Alec. That one was probably going to leave a bruise.

"That's for not telling me that Normal and Sketchy were going to be there."

x x x

Once everyone understood the situation, they worked on a plan together. Asha fixed the merman's vest. Logan figured out where White's guys were, and Alec and Max looked after their merman.

"Eggs," said Max as they looked down into the tyre. Tiny little babies just waiting to be reunited with their mother. They seemed so vulnerable. To think that if Max had been born just a little differently, her baby could have been there in that tyre, so tiny and already out in the world on its own. Absent-mindedly, she trailed a hand across her abdomen.

"Guess you and I've got something more in common after all," said Alec to the merman, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Let's go save their mother," said Max.

x x x

When the rescue mission was complete, they watched the family head out to sea and Max found herself drawn toward Alec. "We should talk," she said. Seeing their young had brought it all to the forefront of Max's mind. She was really having a baby. And that baby's father was really going to be Alec. And she really, really needed him to be there.

Alec looked at her a moment, not sure what she wanted to talk about. Then he nodded in understanding. "I'll walk you home," he said.

"I realised something today," said Max as they walked down a sidewalk side by side. "You need to be in this baby's life."

"I wasn't exactly going to abandon it," said Alec. Then he corrected himself. "Him or her."

"I knew that," said Max. "Since you're still here. But we haven't really talked about it. I want to know what you want from me. How involved you plan on being."

"I kind of thought we'd raise the baby together," said Alec. "Not that Manticore really gave me a frame of reference. I have no idea where to start."

"Logan got me a couple of books," said Max. "And Dr. Carr's been helpful. I heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time the other day."

"Really?" said Alec, with a wondering smile on his face. He looked down at her stomach. "May I?" he asked.

A street corner wasn't exactly the best place to do this, but Max nodded anyway. She lifted her top, exposing the flesh of her stomach to the wind. If she weren't transgenic she would have shivered a little. But the cold had nothing to do with the shiver that did run down her spine when Alec pressed his ear against her stomach.

"I can hear it," he said. "There's really a baby in there."

"I knew it," said Max. "You do think I'm fat."

Alec's head shot up so quickly he might have snapped his neck. He stuttered to cover his ass.

Max laughed. "I'm kidding. I get it. I'm pregnant. I should be glad I'm getting bigger, not freaking out about it."

They continued their walk. Eventually, Alec broke the near silence of the streets. "So, uh, you wanted to know what I wanted?"

"Yeah," said Max.

"I want to be there," he said. "Every single day. It's..." He hesitated. "I never told you why I really decided to help you leave Manticore."

Max remembered. He'd gotten very good at avoiding the question.

"It was the baby," he said. "I guess I was okay with knowing that it was Manticore's baby at first. But then Renfro told me she was going to infect you with that virus and they hadn't figured out what would happen to the baby and I couldn't let that happen. I didn't want to lose the baby. And I didn't want the kid to come out wrong somehow... there are already so many variables with transgenics. Even if we were chosen to be breeding partners because our DNA was most compatible."

Max's eyes widened. She was touched. She'd never realised Alec cared that much about anything. Let alone the baby that _she_ was carrying. Max wasn't sure exactly what reasons Alec had had, but she had thought he'd decided to help her out of Manticore on a whim. "Thank you," she said. "I don't think I really thanked you. I was too caught up in myself. I figured I could have escaped without your help."

"So," said Alec. "What are we going to do now?"

"I need to find a new place," said Max. "OC is great, but the baby's going to need more space and she didn't exactly sign up to look after a newborn. And if you're going to stick around, it'd probably be best if we were near one another."

"Well," said Alec. "I'd be amenable to moving. The craphole I'm in now isn't a place anyone would want to raise a kid. Course I've been trying to relocate but my funds keep drying up."

"It would probably help if you didn't blow it all on strippers," said Max, strangely without censure.

"Probably," Alec agreed with a grin. "Thing is, I find that when sex isn't a transaction, the lady is bound to get too attached."

"You say that like you've actually tried it," said Max.

Alec shrugged, that devil may care grin on his face. "Never outside Manticore's walls."

"You're not referring to me, are you?"

"You, Max? Never."

"Because I'm pretty sure 'breeding program' qualifies under the term 'transaction' and if anyone's too attached it's you."

"Whatever you say," he said with a smirk. "So, living arrangements. Anything else?"

"Well I'm going to need a new wardrobe soon," said Max. "And then we're going to have to think about baby things."

"I've been working on a few things," said Alec. "Got some of my contacts on the lookout."

"Nothing too shady, right?" said Max. "I'd hate to lose my baby's daddy before he even met her."

"Her?" said Alec. "I'm pretty sure it's a boy."

"No," said Max. "It's a girl."

"Do you know when we can find out?" Alec asked.

"You'll find out when the baby's born," said Max.

"Does that mean you'll know?"

"Nope," said Max. "I'm not telling."

"Come on, Max. I'm begging you."

She started off, more quickly, as Alec trailed behind, begging.

x X X x

A/N: Next chapter should be up tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 8

Alec walked into Joshua's house with the ham hocks he hadn't been able to hawk. He'd been thinking about Max's living situation a lot recently, and it almost seemed as though he could kill two birds with one stone. Step one was getting Joshua on board with the plan.

"Hey Joshua," said Alec as Joshua opened his bag to inspect the ham hocks. "You've got a nice place here."

"Father's house," said Joshua.

"Yeah," said Alec. "I bet it gets lonely here sometimes, though. It's a pretty big place."

"Max visits. Alec visits."

"That we do," said Alec. "But how would you feel about having company full time?"

"Alec found more transhumans?"

"No," said Alec. "I was thinking more along the lines of Max and the baby."

"Alec too?"

"It's a big house," said Alec. "But I don't know if it's that big." The clashing of his and Max's personalities was best left to the entire Seattle area.

"Max live with Joshua?"

"The baby's going to need a lot of room," said Alec. "But, uh, we'd have to do some remodelling, clean out the basement and the attic... what do you think?"

"Father's house," said Joshua.

"It would still be father's house," said Alec. "But it's your house, too. And Max's if you let her move in. Just think about it."

"Done thinking. Yes. Max and Joshua living together."

Alec smiled. "Great. But don't tell Max. I want this to be a secret."

"Secret?"

"A surprise," said Alec.

"Surprise. Yes!" said Joshua.

As Alec turned to leave, he noticed the painting. And then the picture frame. "Oh, wow," he said. "This is real nice." They were going to need a lot of money for this remodel.

x x x

Alec felt kind of guilty taking all of that money from selling Joshua's painting just for some ham hocks, so he gave Joshua half, bought him some art supplies, and set the rest aside for renovations to the house. The problem with being a transgenic fugitive was that he'd have to do the renovations entirely on his own. And though Alec had the brains, physical strength and stamina required to pull it off, he didn't have all the know how. At least he wouldn't need planning permission.

While Joshua painted, Alec read some books about renovations. Alec was kind of amazed at the return on investment he could get out of Joshua, and Joshua was more than happy to paint for someone who appreciated his art, and for the chance to help out with the baby.

They'd decided (or rather, Alec had decided and Joshua had agreed) to renovate the basement. Joshua didn't mind, after all the time he'd spent in Manticore's basement, he didn't mind losing the basement in father's house. They were going to split it into two bedrooms, with a bathroom if Alec could figure out plumbing. Thankfully Joshua's house already had working electricity and running water. Working in the basement also had the added benefit of making it unlikely that Max would find out what they were doing. She had no reason to travel into the basement if Joshua was upstairs.

Alec set to work clearing out the basement once he'd gotten Joshua set up upstairs. Afraid of trampling on Joshua's sensitive feelings, he could do little more than sort the things that were in the basement. Most of it, Alec knew, could be moved into the house's attic if Joshua insisted that they keep it.

It was full of broken remnants of a forgotten life. To Alec's eyes the house was full of junk. Some of it, Alec thought could be fixed. There was a nice lamp down here that might be good for the baby's room. And though a chill ran down his spine when he saw it, the piano still worked, even if it was completely out of tune and half the keys stuck. For the most part Alec's job was getting rid of dust and cobwebs, and in a single day, Alec managed to sort the entire space.

When he managed to tear Joshua away from his art, the transhuman had little connection to most of it. He allowed Alec to throw away everything that was broken that could not be restored. The few things which might still be useful, like old suitcases and trunks of old things that Alec didn't think had any monetary value, were to go up into the attic. A couple of things looked like they might be worth something, but they were mostly the books and the scientific apparatuses that Joshua wanted to keep in memory of his absent father.

From there, Alec went to gather construction supplies. It might have been different for the average man wanting to undertake a renovation, but with Alec's fingers in so many pots he managed. He got the timber and drywall as surplus from some town building. The tools and equipment he needed came from a different supplier who worked down at the docks. It would take a few weeks to get everything right, but Alec thought the whole thing was working out rather nicely. He hoped Max would appreciate it.

x x x

Max came into Joshua's house looking agitated. Alec had had to rush upstairs from the basement and was preoccupied with trying to hide the dust that had fallen into his hair. Max didn't notice.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Lydecker's missing," said Max.

Alec wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that. He was never close to the man the way Max seemed to be. In fact, he hadn't given him a second thought since he'd helped them get the Kwik-E-Mart kids off to Canada. "Well the man knows how to look after himself," said Alec. That much was obvious since he'd taught Max and her siblings everything they needed to know to survive in the world outside Manticore.

"That's not the only thing going on," said Max. "White's son has been kidnapped by transgenics."

"He has a son?" said Alec.

"Apparently," said Max. "And a wife who has no idea what that man is doing." Her fingers were trailing the edge of her top, at the waistband of a new pair of jeans. After her last weight-related freak out, she'd taken OC on a shopping trip with her, figuring she could donate or sell the clothes afterward.

"So you thought you'd check up on me, huh?" said Alec with a smirk.

"Get over yourself," she said. "I'm here to see Joshua."

Alec gestured in Joshua's direction. The main floor of the house was largely unchanged in the renovation. Alec had merely set up something of an artist's studio for Joshua. He was busy painting. Several canvases were resting against the wall to dry.

"Wow," said Max, surprised by the proliferation of paintings. "These are great."

Joshua smiled. "Alec sold my paintings."

"That's great," said Max, looking at Alec suspiciously.

"What can I say? I recognised his genius," said Alec.

"I've got to go meet Logan," said Max. "Have to rescue the kid even if he is White's son."

"Do you want some back-up?" Alec asked.

"No thanks, sidekick," said Max. "I've got this covered."

"White doesn't know you're coming, does he?" asked Alec.

"No," said Max. "So it's all good."

Alec worried, but he let her go, taking his mind off Max's mission by working on the rooms downstairs. He'd gotten up the framework for the walls and was going to attempt putting up drywall for the first time.

x x x

"Check this out, Joshua," said Alec, coming into the house after having met with Rita to sell his most recent paintings. "You've been reviewed in _Artist's Weekly_."

Joshua walked over to Alec and took the newsletter from his hands. "I'm famous," he said.

"Yeah," said Alec. "Which is all well and good, but I think that might mean it's time to quit while we're ahead."

"Quit?" said Joshua. "Painting is fun."

"I don't mean you have to stop painting," said Alec. "I just mean it's probably time to stop selling them. We're still laying low. We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves."

"But Rita likes my paintings," said Joshua. "This is my career."

"When I first got to Seattle," said Alec. "I was doing some cage fighting. It was good money, but it meant a lot of people seeing my face. You know what happened? White caught up to me and almost killed me."

"But Alec is still alive."

"And that's the way I hope you stay, too," said Alec. "It's more important than ever, actually. With what Max was saying about transgenics going after White's son. It's become personal for him. It's too dangerous."

Joshua looked sad. "I understand."

"But hey," said Alec. "You know that what you're doing is good. I'd be happy to hang any of your paintings in my apartment, and actually, I was thinking you could paint some murals in the baby's room."

Joshua lit up at that. "Baby's room gonna be perfect."

"What's going on in here?" Max asked, entering the room.

Alec shot Joshua a look, reminding him to keep their secret. "Joshua's been reviewed," said Alec, holding up the _Artist's Weekly_.

"That's great," said Max with a smile. She read the article. "You know what? We should frame this."

"That's a great idea," said Alec.

Joshua beamed.

Max turned to Alec. "We need to talk about White. Turns out it wasn't transgenics who kidnapped his kid."

Max shared everything she knew about White with Alec. It seemed that it was bigger than just the government trying to disguise some misused funds. The game had changed.

x X X x

A/N: Next chapter should be up in twelve hours since this one's short.


	9. Chapter 9

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: I try to do individual review responses every chapter. If you're not getting them it's because you've got PMs disabled or reviewed anonymously. I don't like to put the review responses in the chapters because it artificially inflates the word count too much. My author's notes do enough of that by themselves. So if you want a reply, log in and enable private messaging (It's under account settings).

Chapter 9

The gang were all at Crash one night. Not just the ones who worked at Jam Pony, but Logan and Asha were also taking a moment out of their saving the world schedules to relax.

Alec had rolled through Sketchy's tolerance for losing at pool for the day, and was chatting up the nearest blonde, who coincidentally happened to be Asha. She was humouring him, knowing that it wouldn't be going anywhere. Alec took that as a personal challenge, and was using his best lines. Max and Logan were betting on who would walk away first. Max's money was on Asha. She was absolutely certain that Asha had a thing for Logan, and that Alec was the farthest thing from him. Logan's money was on Alec because he seemed to think Asha was a lot more stubborn than Alec. Max thought that was the most ridiculous idea in the world. Logan thought the idea that Asha liked him was ridiculous. And so they were at a stalemate until one or the other got up and walked away.

Max was surprised when Rafer came in and sat beside her. It had been weeks since she'd last seen him. Their schedules didn't collide often since he worked variable shifts as a paramedic, and when Max wasn't working at Jam Pony she was out saving transgenics with Alec or helping Eyes Only save everyone else. Their relationship hadn't progressed beyond friendship, and Max was glad of it. It made her feel a lot less guilty about the whole sleeping with him thing. She only hoped that Rafer felt the same way.

"Hey stranger," she said to him with a smile.

"Hey Max," he said. He looked down at her stomach. "Oh wow, you're really starting to show."

Max smiled. It wasn't obvious to anyone who didn't know her. Except for Normal, everyone she saw daily had caught on. Max wasn't sure whether Normal was ignoring it, or whether he truly hadn't noticed. "I'm starting to actually enjoy being pregnant," she said.

She frowned when she looked up and saw Alec walking over. Asha was still sitting at the table. She now owed Logan twenty bucks.

Rafer saw her frown and matched it with one of his own.

Logan, however, looked up and grinned. "Thanks Alec," he said. "You just won me twenty dollars."

Alec raised an eyebrow at Max, who just frowned at him further. She knew he'd been listening to them making their bet, so he had no reason to choose to take Logan's side. Alec sighed and pulled twenty dollars out of his pocket, and handed it to Max. Max calmly handed the money to Logan.

"Wait," said Logan, looking between the two of them. "You were in on this?"

Alec grinned. "Would it make you feel better if I said no?"

Logan shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Why don't you go and share your winnings with Asha?" suggested Max. "She earned it after having to sit through that one's pick-up lines."

"I'll have you know, Max," said Alec, taking Logan's seat when he got up. "Women happen to like hearing my so called pick-up lines."

"What am I, chopped liver?"

"No Max," he said. "You're a unique creature, unlike any other."

And even though Max was sure that that was just another line, she couldn't help but laugh.

Rafer, tired of being ignored, spoke up. "So you're Alec."

Alec turned his eyes on Rafer, remembering why he'd walked over in the first place. "And you are?"

"Alec, this is Rafer," said Max. "He's a paramedic."

"Oh really," said Alec. "That's... interesting."

"Well it's a lot more complicated than being a bike messenger," said Max.

"What can I say, Max? I'm a simple guy."

"Simple-minded," said Max.

"Hey," said Alec. "I'm pretty sure that's an insult to simple-minded people everywhere."

"You got that right," said Max.

"So you work at Jam Pony now?" said Rafer.

"Yeah," said Alec. "The cage fighting just wasn't cutting it anymore."

"Cage fighting?" said Rafer.

"Yeah," said Alec. "I won a few fights, then decided to retire. Figured Max would appreciate it if I didn't accidentally get killed before the baby was born."

Max rolled her eyes. "If you died I might not have even thought the baby was yours."

It was Alec's turn to roll his eyes. "Really? You really think Logan had the balls to impregnate you?"

"Sorry dude," said Rafer. "But I'm so not comfortable discussing another guy's balls."

Alec laughed.

"My sister had a kid with a guy like Logan," said Max. "A beautiful kid." Max missed Case, but she knew that he was better off where he was. Far away from what was fast becoming transgenic central.

"I guess miracles really do happen," said Alec. He could have said it flippantly and insensitively, but Max knew he really meant it. "So," he said, turning to Rafer. "Want to shoot some pool?"

"Sorry," said Rafer. "I know a hustle when I see one."

"I didn't say we had to play for anything."

"He just likes the feeling of superiority he gets," said Max. "Since the rest of his life is so unfulfilling."

Alec feigned injury by placing his hand over his heart. "I'll have you know I'm also excellent at poker."

"Just a simple guy trying to make your way in the universe, huh?" said Rafer.

"No thought to who you're hustling with your pretty-boy smile and your devil may care attitude."

"Whoa," said Alec. "I don't go around ripping off nuns and babies."

"But old ladies and art dealers are fair game," said Max.

"Hey, I didn't actually take that woman's TV," said Alec. "And the art was legitimate. How was I supposed to know she'd pay so much for something Joshua painted?"

"I'm still not sure where the scam was there," said Max. "But I know there was one."

Alec grinned. "You won't hear it from these lips."

Max purposely ignored Alec and turned to Rafer. "How have you been lately?"

Alec watched as Max and Rafer interacted. He felt something like jealousy curl in his gut. Rafer and Max actually seemed like friends. She and Sketchy were friends, of course, but there was always a part of her that saw him as some sort of dopey younger brother that needed protection from his own stupidity. Max and Logan were friends, but that relationship had started as a business agreement and a mutual attraction that had had to fizzle out so that they could be friends.

But Alec and Max weren't friends. On a good day he was her sidekick and the father of her child. Those days were rare. Every other day, he was a constant annoyance, a reminder of everything that had ever gone wrong in her life. They couldn't be friends.

And Alec had no idea what he thought about Max. He respected her, sure. She'd done things for her friends, for strangers, and against Manticore that he would never have thought of. It was the way she treated him, mostly, that got to him. As though she had every reason to believe that one day he was going to up and sell her out to the highest bidder. And sure he'd almost done that when White had captured him, but he hadn't in the end. And maybe sometimes he said things that weren't exactly in line with the opinions she'd developed while she was on the outside, but a lot of the time he didn't mean them.

But Max never cut him any slack. It wasn't like Manticore had raised them with a moral compass and maybe he did need a little more guidance (not that he'd be willing to admit that to her). At the same time, her expectations of him were too high and too low. It made it difficult to relate to her.

But Max and Rafer seemed to be on the same plane. No, actually, Alec thought as he watched them. Rafer was on the plane that Max wanted to inhabit. The one she tried to pretend she belonged to. Not the one that meant she'd have more in common with Alec than some entirely normal paramedic.

Alec didn't feel jealous anymore.

x x x

A couple days later, Alec found himself making up some excuse about Asha and his phone number when Max found him at the scene where the S1W had been arrested. Truthfully, he was only there because he'd known Max would be. Whatever he felt for her, sometimes she just needed someone to watch her back.

"You know Normal thinks you're with the S1W," he said as they poked through the debris.

"Normal thinks a lot of things," said Max. "Some of them about you."

Alec made a face. He cultivated that relationship with Normal for information and power, but it didn't stop him from finding some of the man's comments a little disturbing. And, well, sometimes a guy just needed a little ego boost and Normal was great for that.

Alec bent down and pulled a book of poetry from the floor. "Asha likes poetry?"

"It's none of your business," said Max.

He read a line from the paper that had been tucked inside the book. "Kinda makes you wonder who she's writing to."

"Could be anyone," said Max.

"I think we both know it's probably Logan," said Alec.

"Like I said, none of our business."

Alec shrugged. "So why are you here?" he repeated his earlier question.

"The S1W took the flak for the whole Manticore/VA hospital thing. Maybe I owe them. Maybe you do, too."

"Cute," said Alec, taking in their surroundings. The screen on one of the arcade games flashed Max's name and designation at him. "Maybe it's not my business. But it's starting to look like your business."

x x x

They asked around about the game's high score, but most of the kids there had no idea. Finally they found one. He said he'd been watching the guy play.

"You know, I can't actually remember what he looked like. You kind of don't notice him."

"Don't notice him?" questioned Alec. The guy's sweatshirt was huge. Unless he just liked wearing clothing ten sizes too large.

They didn't learn anything much from the kid other than the fact that he was unnoticeable and could predict the future. Alec found the man's address in his sweatshirt. It was like he was leaving them clues to find him. Alec sensed it was probably some kind of trap. But if he was really some sort of psychic, how could you stop yourself from falling into it?

"Told me the hottest chick I'd ever seen was gonna show up looking for him. I guess that's you, huh?" The kid looked at Max while Alec snickered. "Didn't tell me you'd be pregnant, though."

"Well," said Alec. "Guess Brian doesn't know everything after all."

x x x

Alec liked the look of Brain's place. And he'd looked at a lot of places ever since he'd gotten to Seattle. Hell the last couple of weeks he'd been bunking at Joshua's on nights he didn't have to work because his place was that bad. He was really kind of hoping Brain really was the informant and that they'd have him arrested, just so that he could move in. Except of course that what sort of informant would leave clues for Max to find him?

Alec felt a little bad about knocking the guy out and taking him to their interrogation site. He'd known Max was coming. He knew all sorts of things. Except, apparently, that Max was pregnant and that Alec would be with her. But because he knew a lot, and obviously about Max being from Manticore, they had to keep him controlled.

Logan seemed a little more irritated than normal, but Alec put that down to him worrying about Asha. Worrying so much about Asha that he wasn't paying any attention to Brain. Alec could sympathise. He ruffled the guy's hair as they left to rescue the members of the S1W.

x x x

Breaking an egg seemed like such a mundane thing. It was quite another to actually break through an egg, to evade the police. Alec was starting to think maybe Brain was more than just all-knowing. Maybe he was more than human.

Alec checked Brain's neck and there it was, a barcode. Manticore strikes again. But it sort of veered into magic territory, didn't it? It was one thing to splice together the genes of a few different animals, but that was kind of what breeding and evolution did anyway, wasn't it? But seeing into the future? That was a whole different ballgame.

When Brain explained it, it almost made sense. Having a lot of information and the ability to process it. That made sense. That wasn't magic.

"I can see our future. Yours and mine. That's why I'm here, Max."

"That's great and all," said Alec. "But what about me? I mean, you must have known Manticore had us as breeding partners if you know so much about Max."

"Self-centred much?" said Max.

But Brain answered the question. "There was a 2.7% chance that you would get Max pregnant. Only a 48% chance you'd remain in contact with her after Manticore. I chose to go with the numbers."

Alec nodded. But that pretty much cemented the fact that Brain was not the S1W snitch. Even if he did know exactly what was going to happen.

x x x

Alec went with Max when she took Brain out to figure out which of the S1W the police informant was. There was no point playing the game with Asha tonight. It was fun to get Logan all worked up, but Brain was... too interesting to pass up.

Alec sat in a swivel chair behind Max and Brain as they sat at Logan's computer. He spun around. Perhaps coming with them hadn't been the best idea. Who knew that Max could make even this boring?

When Brain accused Max of wanting to know what was going on between Logan and Asha, Alec laughed.

"Shut it," Max said to him.

"Do you know what's going on?" Alec asked Brain. "All the chocolate you can eat if you can somehow convince her to go out on a date with me."

"What is with you and Asha?" Max asked. "It's not like you to chase after a girl who obviously isn't interested."

Alec was surprised Max thought that much of him. "It's a game," he said. "She knows I know. I know she knows. It works."

Max rolled her eyes. They went back to the warehouse with nothing to add.

x x x

When it was all over, Alec felt kind of guilty as he realised that his wishing had come true and Brain's apartment was waiting for him to move into. But not guilty enough. He figured Brain would want the space to be used if he couldn't use it himself. Heck he'd be raising Max's kid here, so how could he object to that? And well, nobody needed six TVs, so it only made sense to sell them.

Of course, Max didn't exactly see it that way. In fact, she was feeling pretty crummy about the entire situation. Alec wished the basement apartment at Joshua's was ready, but the plumbing took longer than Alec had thought it would... and then he'd had the bright idea to add a little kitchenette, which meant another sink. But he thought Max would appreciate not having to go upstairs for the little things. He was sure she wouldn't mind eating all her meals with Joshua otherwise.

"You know, I never really noticed, but... he's actually kind of magnificent."

"Yeah. He was."

There was nothing more that Alec could do than be there for her.

x X X x

A/N: I should probably mention I'm pretty sure I stole a line from Star Wars somewhere... along with the usual ones that I steal from the series.


	10. Chapter 10

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: I have to admit that 'The Berrisford Agenda' is my all time favourite Dark Angel episode. I happen to think it says a lot about me because I am always in tears when I watch it, always hoping that Rachel's actually alive at the end. Alec/Rachel may actually be my OTP. But don't worry, this fic is still Alec/Max.

That said, I'm pretty sure this chapter is crap. Look forward to a twelve-hour update.

Chapter 10

Alec was standing with Sketchy and Original Cindy listening to an argument going on in Jam Pony's back room when Max arrived.

Alec was denying telling Marina that he loved her. "No, no. No, I never said I loved her. That's a cheap ploy and I don't go there. I said that she was a unique creature, unlike any other."

Max laughed. "I knew that was a line."

"Wait," said Sketchy. "He used that on you?"

Max knew what he was getting at. Ever since he'd realised that the baby that Max was carrying was Alec's, he'd bowed to the man's superior seduction talents. Both had, of course, remained tight lipped about how exactly they'd come to have sex. It only made Sketchy more determined to get down to the bottom of how it had happened, why nothing more had happened, and how the two remained friendly.

"Oh, it works like a charm," Alec said as though explaining some new route he could use to shave time off his runs. "I mean, you can almost literally watch them melt."

"But he didn't use it on me," said Max, wanting to make that clear. There was no way that she was ever going to fall for one of Alec's lines. No way in hell.

Normal came out of the back room and Sketchy and OC left them to see to Marina and Little Suki.

When Normal sent Max on a run, Alec got the hell out of there before anyone else could turn her ire on him.

x x x

"Thought you didn't have sex unless it was a transaction," said Max as they rode toward their destination.

"I didn't sleep with either of them," said Alec. "How is it my fault if they think a little friendly flirting is a promise of forever?"

Max didn't want to know. "Shut up and ring the buzzer."

Alec stared at the buzzer as it triggered a memory. A long forgotten, Manticore-buried memory.

Rachel.

He'd forgotten about her entirely. How could he have forgotten about Rachel? For the first time he was happy to admit he'd helped Max torch Manticore. They'd used him to kill her. He remembered everything. He remembered how he'd felt. How he'd tried so hard to escape Manticore. How he'd tried so hard not to do what they wanted him to do and how he'd failed. Failed and become a shell of his former self.

What were the chances that his first extended solo mission had taken place in Seattle? What were the chances that he'd be a messenger delivering a package to this address? Alec did not like the situation one bit.

Alec wanted to be gone. He wanted to be gone, right now. He threw the package over the fence and rode away against Max's protests. She wouldn't understand. He'd saved her from having to understand, and she'd never know.

x x x

Alec did not want to be at Joshua's dinner party. Unfortunately, he was half the reason why Joshua was having a dinner party in the first place. They'd finished up the renovation over the weekend, and although it didn't look too impressive since it lacked furnishings, it was clean and Joshua's paintings lined the walls. Even with his limited understanding of art, Alec knew that what Joshua had put on the walls had been an expression of all the love and affection he felt for Max and the coming baby, as well as for his father and his brother. It was a cosy place, if Alec did say so himself. Nothing like the Manticore basement and somehow Joshua had managed to use the little natural light that came from the ground level windows to make the whole place seem brighter. It was definitely the sort of place Alec wanted to raise his kid.

But thoughts of the future and Max and the baby did nothing to quell the thoughts of the past that had been stirred up by their package drop off. He loved Rachel. His feelings for Max were incomparable. Rachel had been the person who'd made him into the person he was today, whether he'd remembered her or not. She was the person who'd taught him what love was. The person who'd made him see. She deserved far more than he'd ever been able to give her.

Alec picked at his food. He could tell it was upsetting Joshua to see him so glum. This was supposed to be a happy occasion. One too-flippant comment from Max was enough to set him off. He wasn't good company. He didn't need to be here.  
>But Alec didn't go far. He only went down to the basement, forgetting that he'd left the piano down there. He'd tuned it himself while Joshua painted the rooms. He'd replaced some of the piano wires and sanded down the warped keys to stop them from sticking. It was as close to new as it would ever be. But now that he remembered why he felt such a connection to the instrument, Alec regretted it, even as he felt drawn toward it.<p>

Alec sat on the stool and found middle C instinctively. Joshua had painted the seat a cheery blue and green. He gently played a scale as a warm-up. Before he knew it, he was moving from there to a classical piece his hands remembered, but his mind wanted to forget.

When he'd played it through, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Rachel's locket. He'd forgotten that he'd even had it. He'd partly told himself that he could fence it some other time, but he never had. It had been important to him. He would never get to see it hanging around her neck ever again.

x x x

With a hand on his shoulder, Joshua startled Alec into reflexively fighting back. But Max, Original Cindy and Logan were too distracted by the renovations made to the space that they hadn't noticed.

"Did you do all of this?" Max asked, actually sounding impressed for once.

"Joshua helped," said Alec.

Joshua bounded away to show Max and Original Cindy the two bedrooms, and the working bathroom. He happily ran the taps and flushed the toilet to show her that it worked.

"That's pretty impressive," Logan said to Alec.

"Transgenic strength," said Alec. "No big." He was still clutching Rachel's locket, lost in its reflections.

Max came out of the bathroom and stood before the two men. "Joshua says you did this for me," she said.

"You needed a new place," said Alec. "What better place than an old place? Where one of your friends already lives."

Alec wasn't sure what the expression on Max's face was, but it turned to irritation and anger soon enough. "So you thought you'd just make all the decisions for me? Didn't even ask my input?"

Alec had forgotten that it was highly likely that Max would take his gift the wrong way. He tried to tell himself it was just her pregnancy hormones, but from Logan and OC's expressions, this was just how Max had always been.

Alec was so not in the mood. "So don't move in," he said, tossing the necklace up and catching it before shoving it into his pocket. "What do I care?"

He left. Nobody tried to stop him.

x x x

After spending the entire day at home, brooding. Alec left his apartment that night to get a drink at Crash. That might have had something to do with the fact that he'd drunk himself out of liquor. Of course, being transgenic he didn't feel more than a little tipsy. The numbing, loose sensation he'd been hoping to find wasn't present.

Alec didn't look up when he felt Max sit down beside him.

"I'm sorry if I seemed ungrateful," she said to him. "About the basement."

He snorted an ill-humoured laugh. As though he was brooding about that of all things.

"Thank you for fixing it up," she said.

"I didn't do it for your thanks," he said. Why had he done it? Just for the baby? It was a pretty time consuming investment. But he hadn't found a decent place to live on a shoestring budget until he'd met Brain. And if there was something he wanted for Max and the baby, it was a place off the grid, where she didn't have to worry that someone might come after her for something as mundane and inconsequential as rent payments. If she treated her rent the way she treated her Jam Pony job, she'd probably be homeless again in a month. Alec suspected that OC was the one who remembered to pay off their current landlord.

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate it," she said.

"You're welcome," he said without feeling. "Are we done here?"

Max didn't take that as her cue to leave. It took bringing up Manticore before she could get it into her head that he didn't want to talk to her. And that it had nothing to do with her at all. Why did she think she could help? She didn't understand. He deserved to be punished.

x x x

Even the flicker of a chance that Rachel could be alive sent Alec to the Berrisford house again. Max saved his life, but Alec hadn't wanted it to happen. If it could have brought peace to Rachel's father, he would have gladly died even without seeing Rachel one last time. He suspected that Berrisford was smart enough to know what Alec did: that killing someone could never bring you peace.

He could only hope that when he was a father, when he met his child for the first time... that he could be strong enough to take care of her the way Robert Berrisford had his daughter. That he'd be able to live up to her expectations the way he had never managed to live up to Rachel's.

x X X x

A/N: Feel free to rewrite this chapter in your own head so that it sounds better... since I was clearly too lazy to rewrite it myself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: I forgot to mention last chapter *Supernatural spoiler* Meghan Ory a.k.a. Rachel is going to be on Supernatural next week. Except there doesn't sound like there's going to be any her/Jensen, which would have been fun. */spoiler*

Sorry this is a little late. I got distracted.

Chapter 11

It was just another day at Jam Pony. Or so Max thought. She'd been thinking about the things she'd need to move into Joshua's basement. That Alec had renovated that entire rotting, garbage-filled basement for her and the baby brought a smile to her face unbidden. It was kind of sweet, really. Max hadn't thought that Alec had that sort of thing in him. That he might have seen a place available and told her about it, then shrugged it off as no big deal, she could believe. That he'd gone out of his way to make a space available, was completely different. But in the end it was still a selfish act. He never would have done it if Max wasn't carrying his baby. But that he thought about them at all was more than she could have expected from the X5-494 she'd met at Manticore.

So there she was, just standing by her locker, thinking about Alec when she felt it for the first time. The lightest of flutters in her abdomen, but she knew exactly what it was all the same. Instantly her head whipped up, hoping to catch Alec. But she was between runs and he'd still been at Jam Pony when she'd left on her last one.

Disappointed, she looked around for OC. She needed to share this with somebody. Then she saw Normal's head poking up the way it always did when Alec was around and she watched him walk into the place. She walked over to him.

"Feel this," she said, taking his hand in hers and placing it on her stomach, beneath the top she was wearing.

His eyes narrowed in confusion. "I don't feel anything."

"Damn," she said. She could still feel the slight movement within her womb. "Guess you'll have to wait a little longer."

"Aw, come on," he said, moving his hand to see if he could feel it better somewhere else. "You're my baby," he said, talking to her stomach. "You've got to be stronger than that."

"Hey," said Max. "You'll give him a complex before he's even born."

"No, she's-" Alec smiled when he cut himself off. "I knew you could do it, baby."

"I think that was gas," said Max. The look on Alec's face was worth the comment.

x x x

Alec was at Crash, feeling light-hearted. If he was honest with himself, he thought maybe this was the first time he was drinking not to get drunk since Rachel had died. Alec would always blame himself for her death, but seeing her and her father had brought a sort of closure to the whole ordeal. He could learn, he could move on. He could make sure that he never did anything like it ever again. Plus, today he'd felt the baby move for the first time. If there was anything that could take his mind off the past, it was the future. For the first time since he smelled the change in Max, he actually felt like the baby was really and truly alive; really and truly his.

Asha caught his eye at the other end of the bar. Time for round 12. Had it really been twelve times already? Since the whole mermaid thing when they'd met.

"Barkeep! Another scotch. And a, uh, tequila shot for the pretty blonde." One to Alec.

"That's all right. I was just leaving." One to Asha.

"Come on," he said. She stepped closer to him. That could just be to piss him off with proximity, but he'd take that as another point.

"I'm good here," she said, not sitting down. One more to Asha.

"Let me buy you a drink. I'm celebrating," he said with a grin. Limbo zone. It could go either to her, or to him, depending on her response.

"So what are you celebrating?" she asked, seemingly unable to contain her curiosity. That was one more to Alec, which put him ahead. She seemed to frown as she realised what her question really meant.

"I felt the baby move for the first time today," he said. One point to Asha because he answered the question. Even keel again.

But Asha lost the match right then and there because apparently even she wasn't immune to the maternal call of an unborn child. "Really?" she asked, actually wanting to know. "I would have thought it was too early to tell."

"I guess normally it would be," said Alec. "But you know me and Max. Any baby of ours would be pretty special."

"That's one word for it," said Asha. But she accepted the drink that Alec had ordered for her and sat down beside him. "So, when's the baby due?"

x x x

Alec got home from Crash after dropping off Asha and was surprised to find Max waiting on his couch. She was reclining on it with a glass of ice water balanced on her sternum. Alec guessed she was hot, though it was winter already. Pregnancy, he guessed.

"What's up?" he asked. The only reason why she could be here was because she needed his help with something. Although apparently it wasn't an urgent something or she would have called, or looked for him at Crash.

Her eyes fluttered open. "I'm hot," she said.

"I can see that."

"Alec," she said with a whine. "I've never felt like this before."

"So you came here? What about OC? Or Joshua?"

"I needed my sidekick," she said.

"So what is it?" he asked.

"Come here," she said, drinking down her water and setting the glass aside.

Max wasn't acting normally, so Alec was cautious in his approach. When Alec was two steps away, Max lost her patience, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Alec was dumbfounded. Not least because Max had caught hold of his tongue.

But in the next second, she pulled away. "Thanks," she said, and leaped over the couch to make her escape. Alec didn't want to let it. Max was not allowed to just come in here and kiss him and then walk away. That was not how their relationship worked. He and Max were not like that, damnit.

Except after that Joshua came in the door and they were on the hunt for a gossamer. And despite all the meaningful conversations Alec had had in the sewers, Max was very good about avoiding the situation as they walked through.

x x x

Of course, when Max was trapped by gossamer slime and unable to run away, Alec took the opportunity to talk about it.

"So about that kiss," he said.

"Kiss?" asked Logan.

Alec knew there was little chance of Max talking while Logan was sitting right there, but hey, he could maybe get Logan on his side. It might take time, but he had time to kill. "Hey Logan," he said. "What do you think it means when Max says she needs my help, kisses me, then gets me stuck in gossamer goo?"

"Alec," said Max through gritted teeth.

"And did I mention that before she kissed me, she said she was hot?"

"Was it heat?" asked Logan.

"That's a stupid question," said Alec. "She's pregnant."

"Pregnancy hormones," said Logan. "I hear women start to get frisky around the fifth month."

"Good to know," said Alec, wondering if he could swing that to his advantage sometime soon.

"Logan!" snapped Max. A moment later she broke the silence. "I was just testing a theory. I thought it was something like that and I wanted to check."

"Check?" said both men in the same tone of voice.

"You don't know what this feels like," she said. "I have this thing growing inside me and sure Sam thinks it kind of maybe looks like a regular human foetus but what if it isn't? What if it comes out all cat? Or shark? And I'm so hot all the time. It's almost exactly like being in heat except it has none of the same gain so it doesn't make any sense." She sounded like she was about to hyperventilate, which was kind of tricky since she'd been a little short of breath lately.

"Hang on a second," said Alec, not feigning irritation. "You saw the baby without me?"

"Alec!"

But Alec had succeeded. Max no longer sounded like she was about to cry. Because there was one thing he hadn't had to deal with yet, and that was an upset Max. If there was anything he knew without doubt that he would not be able to handle, it was that.

Max was further saved when Joshua arrived to free them.

x x x

Alec caught up with Max once he'd made sure the junkyard owner knew exactly what to do with the gossamer.

"So the kiss was just an experiment?" he said.

"Yeah," she said.

"Just so you know," he said. "If you just wanted to burn off some steam... I'd consider that a transaction."

"I think that would complicate things," she said. "I never should have kissed you."

"Well, you're not half bad at it," he said. "Full points for trying, but your technique could use a little work."

"My technique?"

"Yes, exactly," he said.

Max punched him. And if for a second when they'd kissed, Alec had thought about what it would be like to do it over and over again for the rest of their lives, he didn't let on. Max was fragile. If anything were to happen between them, it would have to wait for the world to be saved.

x X X x

A/N: Halfway through! ...So of course I'm starting to think this is totally tedious, can't believe I wrote this chapter, and am unsure if it makes any sense whatsoever.


	12. Chapter 12

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: See you again in thirteen hours (since we all know I'm lying when I say twelve).

Chapter 12

Max had been thinking about lasts a lot lately. With the coming baby, she had a lot on her mind. Mostly, she was aware of the fact that after the baby was born her life was going to change forever. She'd been through life-changing moments before: leaving Manticore with her siblings, joining a gang in LA, meeting OC and Eyes Only, burning Manticore to the ground... but a baby was the first of her life-changing moments that she could anticipate. Nine months before leaving Manticore the idea hadn't passed through their heads. Nine months before moving to LA, Max could never have anticipated the Pulse. Nine months before moving to Seattle, Max wouldn't have guessed she'd make a new home for herself. Nine months before blowing up Manticore she hadn't known that the facility existed. But here she was, waiting for a baby.

Max had told OC she was going for a ride, and while it wasn't the most comfortable thing now that she was pregnant, it was relaxing and freeing enough. Unfortunately, before she got that far she had to wait in line for gas.

When Max saw the boy separated from his mother, she knew that she had to reunite them. She didn't even think about the idea that she could get shot. Didn't even think about what that might do to her baby. Which meant she was more terrified than in pain when she realised a bullet had penetrated her abdomen.

x x x

After receiving the call from the hospital, the first person Logan called was Alec. The transgenic was out of Jam Pony in a flash before he could even stop to give an excuse to Normal.

Max was asleep when he arrived. Her pulse was slow, weak, but steady. The baby's was faster, but Alec knew that was normal. If she was recovering slowly, there was no telling what that would do for the baby. And so, though everything in Alec's body screamed that he couldn't leave Max here in the care of nosey ordinaries, he let her stay there. But he didn't leave her side. If anyone caught wind, Alec would have Max out of here in a second. Exposure be damned.

Alec allowed himself the time for a calming breath. Manticore-training had taken over earlier. He hadn't allowed the panic to take control. But now that he was here by Max's side, the fear caught up to him. He almost collapsed in the visitor's chair and cradled his head in his hands for a moment. What would he have done if something had happened to the baby? What would he have done if something had happened to Max?

Alec flicked through Max's file. The bullet had missed her womb... missed all her organs, actually. But Max had passed out from bloodloss and so they were monitoring her and the baby now that they were out of surgery.

Alec heard the difference in Max's breathing pattern before her eyes fluttered open. She took a second to take in her surroundings, then sat up.

"Careful," said Alec, going to her side.

"Funny," said Max. "You don't look like Logan."

"Attitude," said Alec. "Check. Guess you're not bad off."

"How's the baby?" Max asked, putting her hand on her abdomen, then running it over the bandage over her gunshot wound.

"As good as it can be after you shut down," said Alec. "I wish I'd been there. I could have given you a transfusion instead of all the crap O-neg they pumped into you."

"Guess I chose a bad day to want to be alone."

Logan walked into the room, looking concerned. "Hey," he said. He looked at Alec. "The nurse didn't say there was anyone in here."

"The nurse doesn't have to know," said Alec.

"I don't know why I bother," said Logan, though he was amused more than frustrated. He turned to Max. "Sam Carr's on your case. He'll take care of all the paperwork so you can stay under the radar. How'd you get shot, anyway?"

"I was trying to get this kid out of the crossfire. Lost track of the shooter."

"Sloppy," said Alec.

"You try being pregnant and see how that affects your reflexes," she said.

"Sorry, sorry," said Alec, holding his hands up in surrender.

A nurse walked into the room, glancing at Logan then focusing on Alec. "Visiting hours are over," she said. "Who are you?"

"This is Linda's husband, Mike," said Logan.

"And I'm staying," he said, crossing his arms and bringing himself up to his full height.

The woman frowned at him. "Hospital policy-"

Alec cut her off and flashed her his most disarming smile. "Look, I don't know about you, but my pregnant wife got shot today while she was running a routine errand. I'm sorry if I'm a little on edge, but I'm not going to cause any trouble. I'm just going to sit here and watch her. Just in case something else happens."

"But-"

"You can't tell me that she's going to be fine. If she was going to be fine, you'd let her go home right now. You wouldn't be keeping her overnight. So just let me sit here. I promise you won't even know I'm here."

She was still unsure, but Alec was pretty sure it wouldn't be the first time someone's family member was allowed to stay overnight. "Okay," she said. "But if you interfere with anyone's care, including your wife's, I am going to call security to have you escorted off the premises. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." And though it could have sounded facetious, twenty years of saying the words entirely seriously leaked through.

"All right then," she said. "I'll make sure the overnight nurse knows."

"Thank you," said Alec.

x x x

Alec didn't sleep that night. He was hyper alert, lurking in the shadows, wary of any threat. Max slept, and Alec comforted himself with the sound of the baby's heart monitor. Its beeping was consistent. Very rarely did anyone come into the room. And if any of the night staff had been questioned, they wouldn't have mentioned seeing the patient's husband.

Alec watched all the staff to see if there was any chance they were tampering with Max's samples or cottoning on to the fact that she was something a little more than human. He hoped to have her out of there before they really realised how strong her vitals were becoming so quickly.

Alec watched the windows to make sure that if White and his goons came, he would have ample time to spirit Max away. Sam came in early in the morning after Max had eaten her breakfast. He did one last check up on the baby, then sent them on their way. Alec destroyed Max's chart immediately, and made Sam promise that he would get the rest.

Logan came to pick them up in his battered Aztek. He'd wanted Max to recuperate at his apartment, but Max protested that she didn't want to put him out. Alec reminded them that Max had actually put a bed into the basement apartment at Joshua's, making it the ideal place for her to stay. Max reminded them that she was a transgenic and that she was already feeling ten times better. There was no reason why she couldn't go home to OC's place.

Alec let her listen in to the call he placed to Normal to explain his and Max's absence.

x x x

"Thanks for staying," said Max. "You really didn't have to."

"What are sidekicks for?" he said.

"Yeah," said Max, not making eye contact. "You've been great, you know?"

"I just did what I had to do." Alec wasn't used to this Max. The one who seemed to think he hadn't screwed something up. The one who seemed to believe he hadn't stuck around to be a nuisance, but rather to help.

"Thank you," said Max, looking right into his eyes.

Alec couldn't help the smile that slid across his face as he stared back. "You're welcome."

Max's hand went up to cup his cheek and for a moment, he thought she might kiss him. She didn't. But somehow, Alec thought this was more meaningful. His future flashed before his eyes, then. Him, Max and the kid. They could be a family. Something he'd never contemplated. Even with Rachel. And while part of him thought that was a betrayal of his feelings for her, he accepted that loving Rachel didn't mean he could never love anyone else.

But did he love Max?

x X X x

A/N: Oh, I remember why this is short. I lost some words so ended up paraphrasing what I remembered writing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: The next few chapters of this story are shorter ones. So I think I'll be updating twice daily for the weekend.

Chapter 13

Alec hadn't ever thought that he would be in this situation. When Original Cindy had mentioned that she and Max were going clubbing, he couldn't help but invite himself along. But then Max had cried pregnant, and there was no way that OC was going to go clubbing with only Alec for company, so Alec had resigned himself to finding his own amusement that night. That's what he should have done anyway. He should have been suspicious when OC called him and told him she'd invited some friends and that the plan was a go.

The friends turned out to be Marina and Little Suki. Apparently, Original Cindy had taken it on to herself teach Alec some sort of lesson about the right way to treat women. Alec thought she should have been teaching them a lesson on how to distinguish between flirting and a relationship.

Alec waited in line while OC tried to convince one of the bouncers to let them in.

"I'm sorry about the whole Jam Pony thing," Marina said to him. "We weren't really so mad at you as we were at each other."

Alec nodded and decided to be the bigger person and forgive them. "It's forgotten," he said. Because the pettiness of a couple of chicks fighting over him had faded in the wake of his memories of Rachel.

"We should have known better than to go after you," said Little Suki. "Since it's obvious you and Max have your thing going on."

"Whoa," said Alec. "There's nothing going on between me and Max."

"Sure there isn't," said Marina. "OC told us about the baby."

"And that's why you agreed to be our wingman tonight," said Little Suki.

What? Alec hadn't agreed to that. He gritted his teeth. "Excuse me ladies," he said. "I need to see what's holding up OC."

x x x

Original Cindy was trying to convince someone that she knew some bouncer called Boom-Boom. It was clear that she wasn't getting anywhere with the guy. If Alec wanted the opportunity to salvage his night, he needed to get into this club right now.

He sauntered up to the bouncer with his most charming smile on his face, hoping the guy would take it the right way and not the wrong one. Thankfully, the guy took it the right way. "Monty Cora," he said. "My man!" And though in normal circumstances, Alec was too cool for high-fives, but he went in for it anyway.

Original Cindy looked at him with more than a little annoyance.

"Hey," said Alec, putting his arm around OC just in case she became more of a hindrance. This bouncer obviously didn't like her. "I heard this was the place to be so I brought a few of my lady friends to visit."

"Sure, absolutely," the guy said, moving out of the way. "Sorry, miss. You should have said you were with Monty."

Alec waved Marina and Little Suki up to join them, the bouncer looking them over appreciatively. "Thanks buddy. I'll remember this."

"It's Marco," he said. "Just ask for Marco."

Alec nodded with a smile, and then they were inside. Alec breathed a sigh of relief.

x x x

Alec's relief was short-lived as what appeared to be transgenics on a high stormed the place. Alec stopped one who got too close to Marina, while OC watched them suspiciously sharing a look with Alec.

"Hey," Alec said, snatching the wrist of a girl trying to pull Little Suki's purse from her shoulder. "That's not very nice."

She released the purse, but stared at Alec as though she'd never seen anything like him before. That was strange, since everyone at Manticore was transgenic.

"Call your friends off," he said. "Let's take this outside."

She wrenched herself out of his grip. "Get away from me, freak!"

Well if that wasn't an overreaction of the wrong kind. Knowing it was a bad idea to turn your back on the enemy, but realising that Marina and Suki were in hearing distance, he turned his head, showing the girl his barcode.

When he turned back he knew she'd seen it. "So let's go outside and have that talk, shall we?"

She bolted. Alec went after her. But in seconds she was in the car and the whole group drove away before he could stop them. He turned to OC and the girls who'd followed him. "I'm going home," he said.

"Max?" asked OC, obviously not believing him.

"Fine," he said. "I'll go see Max."

OC nodded, then looked at the girls. "Let's not let this ruin our night."

x x x

Max had been pissed when Alec went over to see her after the club incident. He wasn't entirely sure whether it was because some transgenic gang running amok was a new problem, or because he'd walked in on her while she was having a bath. Knowing Max, he was going to guess it was the latter. She was just so uptight sometimes. It wasn't like he'd never seen her naked before. And it wasn't like he ever knocked. She never did, either. It was just safer to walk straight in, rather than be caught in limbo outside, because of some misplaced social convention.

Alec was on the phone with one of his suppliers at Jam Pony. He had to broker a few deals today or he'd be out of business completely. He couldn't afford to lose his reputation. And if he lost his reputation he'd have no chance of supporting the kid. That wasn't something acceptable to him.

Max of course, had to ruin the deal. And then Normal had the audacity to tell him that his golden boy actually had to do the work assigned to him when Max had blown hers off. He wondered how close he'd gotten to mending fences with Marina and Little Suki last night. Could they be called upon for a favour?

OC gave him their numbers, stating that she'd already given his to them. That was a good sign. Little Suki didn't exactly laugh in his face when he called her first, but it was with obvious amusement that she had to decline because she had a nine to five job working in the office of an investment company. Marina, though, was entirely receptive to working his shift for him. The only work she'd managed to get recently was stripping (though she just told him she was a dancer; Alec could read between the lines). He promised to put in a good word for her with Normal, and for that, she was his for the day.

x x x

While Alec ran his errands throughout the city, Max called him with updates. He tried to pretend that he was more interested in that than the shipment of coffee that was coming in tonight. Max was too distracted to notice. And even if she did, Alec was pretty sure than a couple pounds of the good beans would be enough to make her forgive him.

Thankfully, he'd got the shipment to his distributors by the time Max called him to help her rescue some chick who was apparently not from Manticore. Alec thought it seemed a bit of a waste to kill the guy with the good blood. He could appreciate that. If Marrow had been around when Max had been shot they wouldn't have had to risk exposure by taking her to the hospital. But when some guy is trying to kill you and your baby, there's really only one course of action a soldier can take.

But Max was still on that whole 'don't kill people' kick, so Alec had to stop. Unfortunately for Marrow, he didn't get the memo and was accidentally impaled. Alec might have mourned the guy if he didn't seem just a touch crazy. Max blamed that on Manticore, but Alec wasn't so sure. Transgenics were like regular human beings. Some of them just decided to be crazy cult leaders. Manticore couldn't control everything. But Alec didn't want to be the one who had to talk Max around. Her prejudices ran deep.

x X X x

A/N: Why yes, I did remove some of the drama from this episode.


	14. Chapter 14

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Um, yes. This chapter is a total cop-out.

Chapter 14

Max was getting too pregnant for this, she thought as she wheeled her bike into Jam Pony. At six months she'd expanded as far as one expected for that point in time. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that she still had a ways to go and straddling a bicycle had gone from being a minor inconvenience to a pain to add on top of the numerous ones being pregnant caused. She'd had to pee in some pretty uncomfortable places over the past couple of weeks, even though she asked every recipient if she could use their bathroom. Post-pulse Seattle sucked. It was amazing how often someone wouldn't let an obviously pregnant use their bathroom.

The problem was, Max didn't want to quit her job. She liked all the benefits that came from working at Jam Pony and she didn't like the idea of not having anything to do with her time. Because Max knew that if she wasn't able to work for Jam Pony, she was definitely not going to be able to do any of the things she usually did on the side. No more Eyes Only missions- just last night, Logan had asked Asha to do something he'd normally ask Max to take over. No saving transgenics. And hopefully, no kidnappings and bullet wounds. Even asking Normal for time off would be admitting defeat.

"I just don't know why you won't consider a triumphant return to the ring. You were like a master, my friend. You were unequalled; without peer." Max walked in on a familiar scene: Normal trying to convince Alec to go back to cage fighting. But even Alec wasn't that stupid.

"Well, it's not like I didn't enjoy knocking grown men unconscious for a living. It's just that there comes a time in life when you say: That was then, and this is now. There's a baby to consider."

A strange expression crossed over Normal's face. "A baby?"

"What a crock," said Max, walking toward the two of them. "You knew about the baby before you even set foot in the ring."

"Which is why I needed the cash to begin with," said Alec.

"Wait a sec," said Normal, pointing between the two of them. "You're carrying the golden child? Fruit of my rock star's loins?"

Every eye in Jam Pony suddenly swivelled to their conversation.

Max tried not to let her discomfort show. "Unfortunately," she said.

"Max, I'm hurt," said Alec, the play following as it always did.

"But you need rest and relaxation," said Normal. "Sustenance. You have to take care of the next generation!"

And this was exactly why Max had never seen fit to enlighten Normal as to her baby's paternity. It was an entirely frightening experience as Normal suddenly started coddling her.

"Alec! Do something," said Max through gritted teeth, backing away from Normal.

Alec was too amused by the idea of some of Normal's extreme obsession rubbing off on someone other than him. He just smiled. "Hot run," he claimed as he left the room.

Normal tried to get Max to go home, but she stubbornly refused. But, he too was stubborn, so she found herself behind Normal's desk, sorting packages by sector and noting pick-ups. While it didn't have the same freedom that being a messenger had, Max thought maybe she could do this. Maybe she wouldn't have to give up her job entirely.

The strange thing was, now that she'd basically taken over his job, Normal had made himself scarce. It would have relieved Max, knowing he wasn't nearby, but since it was out of character for him to leave Jam Pony during business hours, it was more worrisome. He was up to something and Max was pretty sure she wasn't going to like it.

x x x

Max remained working as pseudo-dispatch for the rest of the week. Normal continued to skulk around. The most suspicious thing was that Max saw him talking quietly to his employees more often. It wasn't abnormal for him to talk to them, but he tended to make anything he said loud and clear so that everyone would know who'd been reprimanded and why. It sure saved him time and money that might have gone into staff meetings and memos. But for Normal to quietly discuss something with the twenty-somethings he employed? That was more than a little strange.

By Friday, Max suspected he was spreading rumours about her. Perhaps he'd discovered that she was transgenic and was having everyone look out for signs. Out of paranoia, she'd started putting make-up over her barcode. She'd told Alec to do the same but he'd just stared at her as though she came from another planet. That was something else they were going to have to talk about eventually. The man never seemed to care that his barcode was showing. Max supposed it was some sort of Manticore pride. He liked everyone knowing that he was better than them somehow.

When she asked OC about what was going on, the woman had shrugged it off and mentioned that she hadn't noticed anything. Sketchy had also looked a little confused by her question. Max had to think he was high. When she cornered Alec, he mentioned that it did seem suspicious and that Normal hadn't said anything to him, which was three times more suspicious than everything else added up. Alec was Normal's go-to man for opinions. Normal didn't seem to have any friends and he thought Alec was a god, so he liked to hear Alec's thoughts on any of his own opinions, even if he did then ignore them.

The weirdness built up as it came to closing time on Friday night. The weird thing was that all the messengers were still there. They were just hanging out by their lockers and generally behaving normally, but all of them were there. On Friday nights, just about everyone could be counted upon to find some excuse to walk out early or just not come back. They even got fewer walk-ins and requests for pick-ups, so for the most part Normal put up with it. Even Sky was there and it was his day off.

Max stopped Alec as soon as he came in. He was the last one to arrive. "Everyone's here," she hissed at him.

Alec looked at her, and then at everyone who was hovering near the lockers. Half of them were open, and it was like they were hiding behind the doors. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. There was something very threatening about this situation.

And then Normal walked in with a cake, and everyone shouted 'Surprise!' and someone pulled a cord and a freaking banner fell from the ceiling (how had neither of them noticed that?). The banner read, "Congratulations Alec & Max". It also seemed like everyone was suddenly holding a present.

Alec relaxed slightly, but he and Max were still confused. "We're not getting married," he said, when Normal got closer.

"Well I'd hope not," said Normal, looking a little distastefully at Max. "It's a baby shower."

"A baby shower?" said Max, dubious.

"It's a pre-Pulse tradition," said Original Cindy. "It's a party for your baby."

Alec recovered faster than Max did. "Normal, you shouldn't have," he said with a big grin, slapping the man on the back.

"Anything for my golden boy," said Normal, matching his smile.

Max didn't really understand it, but if Normal was throwing a party at Jam Pony, who was she to complain?

They started with the cake, and then moved on to the presents. Max was overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she now had for her baby. It actually made her a little teary, looking at it all and knowing that now she wouldn't have to buy so many things, and that these people who worked here cared about her and her baby.

Max looked up when she realised the present she was about to unwrap had come from Logan. She hadn't seen him come in. But there he was standing awkwardly beside Sketchy.

"Hey," she said, approaching him instead of pandering to her audience. "I didn't see you come in."

He smiled at her. "Yeah, that was when one of the girls was trying to smash cake on Normal's face."

"So you were in on this too, huh?"

"Original Cindy called me," said Logan. "I was saving the gift for when the baby was actually born, but thought I'd bring it now."

Max opened it. It was a scrapbooks, waiting to be filled with the details of the baby's moments.

"Thought you'd like a reminder of everything," said Logan.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. Her fingers trailed over the engraved cover. "I saw your broadcast earlier. Guess everything worked out with Asha."

"Yeah, though I'm a little fuzzy on a few of the details," said Logan with a smile. "I invited her to come, but she said something about not wanting to encourage Alec."

Max laughed. "Well that's a point to her in their game."

The smile had slid off his face. His eyes had shifted to watch Alec as he flirted with a couple of girls in the corner.

"It's nothing, you know," said Max. "Asha's... She likes you."

"I like her, too," said Logan.

"So why don't you, you know? Ask her out or something?"

Logan's eyes found the ceiling. "I guess I'm worried it might be the wrong time."

Max made a noise of disgust. "Well, since this is my party, you have to do what I say. And what I say is that you have to ask her out. Tonight. Go for it."

"That's not really how this whole baby shower things works."

"Uh-uh," said Max, waving a finger. "I want you to be happy. I think the two of you are great together. You've got that whole saving the world thing in common."

"But-"

"Nope," said Max. "I'm not listening anymore. You're doing it. And she's going to say yes. Then on Monday I'm going to want a full report."

"Yes, ma'am," said Logan.

"Except for the sex," said Max. "I don't want to hear about that."

And then came Normal's present, and that made Max emotional in an entirely different way.

"Maternity leave, missy-miss," he said to Max. "You're taking it. I don't want you coming back here until that baby can feed itself. I'll pay you your salary, no tips or overtime. And Marina's back, so she can take care of your share of the load."

"Normal," said Max. "I'm still perfectly capable of working for another couple of months. And once the baby's born I'll bounce right back."

"Then why do half my customers complain that it's unprofessional of you to be using their bathrooms? No. That's it. It reflects badly on the company, them thinking I'm too much of a slavedriver to let a pregnant girl go to the bathroom. If you come in to work on Monday you're fired. I mean it."

Max scowled. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to hit him with her full strength. But given Normal's physiology, that was likely to kill him. So she focused her attention on the one person in the room she wouldn't be able to kill with a single, well-aimed punch.

"Do you know what Normal just did?" she asked Alec.

"Organised a party right under our noses? I guess it might have been easier to spot if we'd known what the hell a baby shower was... and expected Normal to do something spontaneously nice for us."

"No," said Max. "He's put me on maternity leave! I can't come back to work."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" said Alec. "You can rest up. I know how badly you need to pee right now. Unless he's not paying you?"

"He is," said Max. "But I can't stay at home all day. I need to work. I need to do something."

"You can keep Joshua company," said Alec. "You know he gets lonely."

And suddenly Max felt bad about complaining about maternity leave. Her boss was going to pay her to do absolutely nothing all because one day in Manticore she and Alec happened to meet while she was in heat. Joshua, on the other hand, had spent his entire life locked in a basement. And since things didn't look like they were going to change any time soon, it was likely he'd spend the foreseeable future locked in his father's house. The least Max could do was not complain that she had one less thing to do. "You're right," she said. "I hate it when that happens."

"What can I say, Max? I'm a genius."

Max could argue with that. What genius would say that while standing so close to her punching arm?

x X X x

A/N: So since I couldn't figure out how to twist the episode with pregnant Max, I avoided it completely. And if any of you asked Logan or Asha how the hell they caught what's-his-face, they would have absolutely no idea because of Mia's mind whammy. And you can't ask Mia or Dougie; they are no longer in Seattle.


	15. Chapter 15

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! I hope you and your loved ones all have a happy and safe 2012.

Chapter 15

Max was at Logan's apartment. It was only the second week of her forced maternity leave and she was completely over it already. Logan had tried to make her stay away from his place, sure that she was going to be tempted into going after something she shouldn't. Max was nothing if not stubborn, though, and even with the exoskeleton Logan wasn't going to be able to physically force her to leave.

Alec showed up after work, somehow instinctively knowing that Max wasn't at Joshua's where she was supposed to be.

"Thought you'd want to know Sketchy joined the New World Weekly," he said without preamble, having mysteriously appeared at Logan's shoulder.

"Good for him," said Max. "He always wanted to do something more than be a messenger."

"Even if it is a tabloid," said Logan. "Everyone's got to start somewhere."

"Sure," said Alec. "And I guess I'd be all for it. If his topic of choice wasn't the mutant menace currently plaguing Seattle."

"No one actually believes anything they read in the New World Weekly," said Logan.

"Besides, what are the chances he stumbles across an actual Manticore alum that's stupid enough to let him snap a shot?"

Alec looked a little sheepish.

Max caught it immediately. "Seriously?"

"Relax, he didn't get my barcode or anything," said Alec. "Just your average Jam Pony messenger."

The phone rang and Logan went to answer it while Max and Alec bickered about how Max was supposed to be at Joshua's relaxing and how Max thought Alec was supposed to be working when he was actually relaxing.

Logan interrupted their fight with a worried look on his face. "That was Wendy Olsen. I think she's in trouble."

"White's wife?" said Max.

Alec tried to remember what he knew about the situation. "She's still looking for her kid?"

"Yeah," said Logan. "She's called me more than once with what turned out to be bogus leads."

"Think this might be another dead end?" asked Max.

"It occurred to me, until I heard someone bust in and the line went dead. I'm tracing the call now." He looked at Max. "And no, there is no way you're coming with me on this one."

"But it's White," said Max. "He and his freaks have no sense of pain and they're as strong as transgenics."

Alec noticed Logan looking at him. "No," he said, waving his hands. "Really?"

"A woman's life is in danger," said Max.

"A woman who put herself in that danger," said Alec. "She put herself in it. She can get herself out of it."

"She's looking for her son," said Max. "What if I just ran away somewhere with our kid. So you could never find him. What would you do?"

"Fine," said Alec. "But I'm only doing this because you're asking. And FYI, pulling the kid card is low."

x x x

Alec and Logan found the film canister in the room Wendy had been staying in. Following the trail from the photos led them to a private boarding school. From there, Alec had to go in by himself.

Having sneaked into the school while Logan distracted the guard and not finding Ray in his room, Alec was faced with a scene he hadn't been expecting. Max had made mention of the fact that White seemed to be part of some sort of breeding cult, but he hadn't expected it to be so cult-like. For the most part, White looked like any of the other men who worked for the government. He didn't wander around wearing a weird robe or speak a language that wasn't English... that he'd ever noticed, anyway.

And what was with the snake? No one had mentioned anything about snakes. Alec hated snakes. He'd seen more during that trip to Peru than could last him a lifetime. They were just so scaly and always right there. As though they were waiting for you to step on them just so they could bite you. Not that the venom would kill him and the bite generally didn't hurt much, but the fact that it had happened at all just bugged him.

Alec cursed internally as he was suddenly exposed in his hiding place. With nothing else for it, he fought his way toward the kid. That was the goal here, and X5-494 did not leave a mission incomplete. But Max was right about these people having a beyond Manticore tolerance for pain and strength equal to that of a transgenic. To top it off, he'd been stuck with the freaky knife thing and it was starting to hurt more than a regular cut or burn. And transgenics weren't supposed to get infections.  
>Unfortunately, even Alec's tenacity fell in the face of sheer numbers.<p>

x x x

Alec awoke to find himself in a creepy cage being watched by a creepy woman. He felt like crap, and he was covered in sweat. Alec didn't get covered in sweat unless he'd been training all day in the desert. But somehow, he knew that the worst of it was over. The same way he always knew when they were done with the lasers in Psy-Ops before they even told him.

"It's over," the freaky woman said, while looking down at Alec.

Alec immediately fell into a defensive stance. "What did you do to me?" he asked, not expecting a straight answer.

"Nothing you didn't bring upon yourself by disrupting a sacred ritual."

Alec scanned the cage, looking for a way out. But likely this cage had been built with even these people's strength in mind. Unless he could pick the lock or trick someone into releasing him, he wasn't going to be able to get out of here. God help him, his only hope was Logan. And then he saw Max skulking behind the cult woman. He almost rolled his eyes, but figured it was better to distract the woman until Max was ready.

"What exactly is your sacred ritual for?" asked Alec.

"All of us must prove ourselves," she said, showing him the brand on her forearm.

The one that now matched one on his. First a barcode, now some freaky snake cult branding? Alec was beginning to think he wasn't in charge of his own body.

"So I passed," said Alec. "Guess that makes me an honorary member."

The woman frowned at him. "That makes you nothing."

That's when Max chose to strike, suffocating the woman then pulling the keys from her pockets. She unlocked the cage and let Alec out.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Well I thought about staying behind and keeping Joshua company," said Max. "But then I thought, if Logan gets to come and he can't even use his legs, why should I let being pregnant stop me?"

Alec looked at her. "I can tell how badly you need to pee right now."

From there it was another run-in with White and an escape aided by the local sheriff, thanks to Logan. Although the bit Alec was going to remember was the way Max stopped a freaky telekinetic kid by flashing him. Of course, that was the part that Max was going to ensure he forgot. He was also going to forget the part where Max urinated in one of their decorative vases because she couldn't hold it in any longer.

x x x

"You can't keep doing this, Max," Alec said to her once they were back at Joshua's house. "This isn't just about you anymore. You have to think about other people."

"I think about other people plenty," said Max. "Seems to me like I was thinking about you when I saved your ass." She looked at the bandage on his arm.

Alec pulled on the sleeve of his jacket to hide it. "Logan would have gotten me out," he said. "Or I would have gotten myself out. But that's not what this is about. This is about our baby, Max. It's not about me or even Manticore and the other transgenics. It's about the life that's currently inhabiting your womb, hoping to get out alive one day."

"The baby's fine," she said.

"You took a risk with the baby today. You could have been shot. The baby could have been shot. I'm just really not comfortable with that."

This was the most emotional Alec had ever been with Max. And she knew where he was coming from, she really did. She understood because she already loved this baby the way he seemed to. But he wasn't carrying it. He didn't understand how she felt. He could just walk away and do his own thing at any moment of any day. And he did do that most of the time. He didn't have something growing inside him he could never walk away from.

"Look," he said. "I know you didn't ask to have this baby and if you'd been in the right frame of mind this never would have happened. But I want this baby and I know I haven't done all that much for you lately, but you just have to hang on for three more months. And if you don't want the baby, I will take him or her and you'll never have to see us again."

"No!" Max said, surprised at the ferocity with which she said the word. "I want this baby. I love this baby as much as you do. I just... I don't know how to take care of it. I mean, the nursery's all set up downstairs and Joshua's been great at making sure I eat but I am going crazy cooped up with this baby wherever I go."

"Calm down," Alec said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I don't know of any way to make a baby come out faster, and I would help you with it if I could. But I can't. So you just have to let me figure out a way to make this easier for you, without letting you risk your life and the baby's. That's what I can't do."

"I don't know," said Max. "I don't know."

Alec hugged her, and she buried her face in his shoulder. "We'll take it one day at a time," he said.

x X X x

A/N: Alright. Next chapter should be up in a few hours. Probably eleven of them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Clearly I have no life. It is still 2011.

Chapter 16

Alec had been arrested. Since he'd committed numerous crimes since he'd showed up in Seattle (and a bunch more while still technically on Manticore's leash), he supposed it shouldn't have surprised him. It was strange that they'd caught him at Crash, though. That they hadn't found his place or showed up at Jam Pony.

Actually, the fact that they'd arrested him at Crash was the only reason why he hadn't fought them off to begin with. And well, once he heard it was murder, he stayed because he knew he hadn't done it. It would be easier to get back to his life if the cops weren't trying to arrest him every time he showed up to work or Crash or figured out where he lived. And well, he didn't really want to have to break his thumbs just to get out of the cuffs.

Unfortunately, Max came in, looking even more pregnant that the last time he'd seen her, which had only been yesterday. At Crash.

"Seriously Max," he said. "You really need to stop bailing me out. How do you even walk?"

"Shut up," she said. "It's not like this is the most dangerous of places. It's a police station."

"Oh, and I suppose you didn't come here with the idea of breaking me out?"

"Depends," said Max. "Did you do it?"

"I didn't do it," said Alec.

"You got ID-ed. There's a perfect DNA match. Tell me the truth. Whoever it was probably deserved it, right?"

"I swear I'm innocent," said Alec. "Guy's teeth were pulled from his head, for God's sake."

Alec watched Max collapse in on herself for a second. "Max? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said. She looked up at him. "Let's get you out of here."

"I was just going to wait it out," he said. "Easier to get back to it."

"No," said Max. "White's going to figure it out in a second. You have to go." She knocked on the door to let the guard know that they were done, then she knocked him out.

When Alec saw how poorly thought out her escape plan was, dislocated thumbs started to look like a good idea.

x x x

Once they'd eluded the police, Max and Alec walked in on one very strange dinner date. They shared glances and realised neither of them knew who the hell the girl eating with Joshua was.

"What's going on here?" asked Max.

Joshua looked up, guilt all over his face. "Annie. Eating dinner."

"We can see that," said Alec.

"Hi," said Annie with a smile. "I live down the street."

"Well I'm Max," she said. "And I live here with Joshua. And he didn't tell me he was having company."

"Sorry," said Joshua. "Thought you would stay out late. Party at Crash."

"Well I don't know about you, Max," said Alec, dragging in another chair. "But I am starving and it looks like Joshua here's got enough for all of us." He turned to Annie.

"I'm Alec, by the way. Joshua's friend."

And so Max and Alec supervised Joshua's date with Annie, making absolutely certain he didn't say anything suspicious at all.

When Annie had to leave, Joshua became upset with them.

"I know I have to lay low. I'm tired of laying low, Alec."

"But Joshua," said Max. "Just because she doesn't know what you look like doesn't mean she's not going to tell people that you live here. What if someone comes over just to say hi to Annie's friend Joshua? They'll think it's suspicious if you never answer the door... and if you do..."

"Running and screaming," said Joshua.

"None of us like it, Joshua," said Max. "And one day that's going to change, but until then we have to avoid notice."

"Let her go before she falls in love with you," said Alec, seriously. "Before she wants you to meet her family. Before you get yourself killed. Before you get her killed."

Joshua nodded, then barricaded himself in his room.

"Today was not a good day," said Max. She and Alec were sharing the sofa. Sitting closer together than they usually would.

"How was it bad for you?" asked Alec. "I spent the night in prison. Joshua has to tell the only girl who won't run from him that he can't see her anymore. As far as I saw you had a kick-ass time breaking me out of prison."

Max stared into the fireplace. "It was Ben," she said.

"What was Ben?"

"The murder you're wanted for," she said. "He killed Timothy Ryan and ten other people. Same MO."

"They told me back at Manticore that he'd gone nuts, but..." He looked at Max. "Serial killer?"

"After we escaped, it was like there were too many things in this world he didn't have answers for."

Alec could relate to that feeling. Not so much that there weren't any answers, but that it was so much easier at Manticore. They didn't have to think about Joshua befriending Annie or getting put in jail. Hell, they wouldn't have even had to think about the baby and where he or she was going to sleep. Manticore would have taken care of all that... and all they had to give Manticore in return was their complete obedience, undivided loyalty. None of them were capable of that.

"He just... lost it."

Alec put his arm around Max, and she cuddled up to him.

A moment later she continued the story. "We were in the woods. He was hurt. Manticore was closing in on us. He didn't want to go back there."

Alec nodded. "Reindoctrination. Or worse."

"I killed him."

Alec looked at her, then drew her closer.

"He asked me to, so I did. And then I ran. I saved myself. And I just left his body there for them to take away." She cried.

Alec kissed the top of her head. "Max, I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? What do you have to be sorry for? It was Manticore who made us. Manticore who destroyed us."

"I guess I'm sorry I didn't realise how hard it must have been for you to have me around," he said. "Some guy with Ben's face, making you think about things you'd rather forget."

"No," said Max. She was clinging to him. "It's why I never told you to just leave. You remind me of him in a good way. The way you tell stories. The way the smallest things excite you. But it's not like I'm replacing him with you because you're both so different, too."

"I hope so," said Alec.

"All the scams you're running," she said. "Ben would never have been able to do that."

"It does take a certain kind of genius," said Alec.

"And he was never so full of himself."

Alec laughed. "I'm glad," he said.

"For what?"

"That we can be friends," he said. "That I don't have to wander out there alone."

"Me too," said Max. "I'd never be able to deal if it happened again."

x x x

Alec had thought that after their conversation at Joshua's the topic of Ben was closed, but when he found Max sitting atop the Space Needle the next day, he realised she didn't mind talking more. She spilled her gut as though he wasn't even there. But after she fessed up to exactly how Ben had been killing those people, Alec felt like he had to do something.

Alec found himself making his way to the church, and leaving a donation. He wasn't Ben, and he'd paid for Ben's mistakes for six months of his life. But part of him felt responsible. Like, if they'd only switched the two of them at birth, put Alec in Max's unit, that would have been him. They were genetically identical, there was no way it wouldn't have happened.

"Ben?" A man spoke behind Alec. Alec hadn't meant to run into the man. He'd hoped that coming early would mean that he wouldn't be up and about. Apparently the man didn't sleep.

Alec turned. "I'm not Ben," he said.

"Right," the man said. "It's just-"

"He was my twin brother," said Alec. And he actually felt like there was truth in that statement. Talking about him with Max had made Alec feel like he knew him. What Max said about him... how he felt. More than that, he no longer felt like Ben's equally defective clone. "I'm sorry you had to see me. This can't be pleasant."

"No," said Father Destry. "I'm glad."

"Glad?" questioned Alec.

"I worried about him," said Father Destry. "But I can see he always had you. You loved him."

"That's not technically true," said Alec. "We were separated at birth. Raised by different foster families. I never met him."

"I'm sorry," said Father Destry. "Would you like to come in?"

Alec hesitated. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Come on," said the priest. "I know that look. Come in."

Alec followed the priest in. He watched as he went through, occasionally putting a hymnal back in its place, or lighting a candle that had gone out. "What look do I have?" Alec asked.

"The look people have when they want help, but they don't know how to ask."

"I don't even know what I need help with," said Alec. Then he thought to the news of the transgenic being shot down. One guy just trying to escape... he didn't look like he'd ever done any harm. And this was the world he and Max were bringing life into? It wasn't right. But there wasn't so much he could do. He was just one person. Even one genetically empowered individual can be taken down by a witch hunt.

"That's a prayer in itself," said Father Destry.

"I'm going to be a father soon," said Alec. "And I can't stand the world we're living in. How can I raise a kid in it?"

"They say acknowledging the problem is the first step. And there are many ways in which one person can make a difference to the world."

Alec's immediate response was to deny that. But it was so easy for one person to destroy a civilisation. Why couldn't just one person put it back together? "Thank you, Father," he said. "Now all I have to do is figure out how."

x X X x

A/N: Happy New Year (again)!


	17. Chapter 17

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: First chapter of 2012.

Chapter 17

With the exposure of the transgenics, Max and Alec had to take more extreme measures to ensure they remained under the radar. Mostly that just meant lasering off their barcodes. Max came back from the trip to the doctor's office to an empty house. She should have known that Joshua would have taken the opportunity to leave. In the last week, he'd been withdrawn and somehow exploding out of his skin at the same time. She knew exactly where he'd gone, too.

The problem was that when Max got there, the place was surrounded by cops and reporters. It was not looking good for Joshua at all. She called Alec.

He picked up on the first ring. "What's up?" he asked.

"Joshua," she said. "They've accused him of kidnapping Annie and now they're both gone."

"Let me guess," said Alec. "The sewers."

"Right. And since I'm not allowed to do anything dangerous, being oh-so-pregnant and all. I guess that leaves you to do the dirty work."

"Great," said Alec with a groan and a sigh. "I'm on my way."

When Max hung up, she saw Sketchy trying to talk to people. Recognising that as a problem, she went to distract him. That was something she could do without seeming suspicious, or putting herself into unacceptable danger.

x x x

It was easy for Alec to take down a couple of guards watching the nearest sewer entrance. And okay, maybe he shouldn't have stopped to pick their pockets but considering he owed Max for his faked birth certificate and passport, he was willing to make an exception. Besides, taking the money would draw suspicion away from the fact that he'd wanted to enter the sewer system in the first place.

When Alec stepped in a particularly deep puddle he winced. "Joshua owes me new jeans."

He went into stealth mode, avoiding patrols. Normally he'd take the opportunity for a fight, but he figured that would probably make it worse for Joshua in the end.

When he felt like he'd gone through half the tunnels in the system with no sign of Joshua or Annie, he called Logan.

"Any way you can figure out where the hell I should look next?" he asked.

Logan indicated a direction and Alec went off. Around the next corner, he spotted Annie, alone. "Annie? It's me, Alec. Where's Joshua?"

"He went that way," she said, pointing. "Do you look like him?" she asked.

"Not really," said Alec. "I guess he told you."

"It was you, wasn't it? When I asked to feel his face."

"Yeah," said Alec. "Sorry about that. It's not really safe for any of us to be out and about at the moment."

"You're like him?"

"More cat than dog, but yeah," said Alec. "Like."

They both heard footsteps, and Alec carefully hid. That was, until he saw that it was White.

"Don't worry, miss. It's all over."

Alec dropped from the ceiling and went straight for White's gun, pointing it at the man. "Now, it's over."

"494," said White. "You're beginning to be something of a nuisance."

"Funny," said Alec. "I was beginning to think the same thing about you."

"What's going on?" asked Annie.

"This guy is not your friend," said Alec. "In fact, I bet he came down here to kill you, since I don't see any of his usual goons."

"You're dangerous," said White. "The people deserve to know."

"And what about you and your freaky snake cult? I suppose there's nothing dangerous about you. You've probably got the entire government in your pocket and you're worried about a couple of foot soldiers?"

White didn't say a word.

"That's what I thought," said Alec, before pistol whipping the man.

Annie heard the noise. "What did you do?"

"Relax," said Alec. "He's alive. And you are, too."

"They'll think Joshua did it. He'll probably tell them he did if what you said was true."

"I know," said Alec. "But they'll also know that he didn't kill him. Didn't even leave a bruise. And I think they'll wonder why. And someone might just get to the right conclusion. Maybe." He reached for Annie's hand. "Let's get you out of here."

"What about Joshua?"

"I'll help you to the nearest exit," said Alec. "Then I'll go after him."

"Okay," said Annie.

Alec called Logan and found the nearest exit, staying behind her to ensure she didn't fall, but not letting himself be seen by the cops waiting at the entrance.

x x x

It took another fifteen minutes before Alec found Joshua, and that was only because the other people looking for him found him first. Getting the fight he'd been looking for earlier, Alec took down the nearest cops. Joshua managed to knock a few out, too. And then they were running for another sewer exit.

Max was waiting when they got there. "Took you long enough," she said.

"Well I ran into White," said Alec. "Had to stop him from making a bad situation worse."

"White?" said Joshua.

"Yeah." Alec turned to Max. "So how's Annie?"

"She's fine," said Max. "Reporters are all over her."

"Good," said Alec. "White can't get to her now. This could have been really bad."

x x x

"Why did you do that? What were you thinking?" Max asked, once the whole team was safely back at Joshua's house.

"Annie," said Joshua.

"I get it, buddy," said Alec. "But the world isn't ready for us, yet."

"When?" asked Joshua. "When will the world be ready?"

"Soon," said Max, with fire in her eyes. No one who could look into those eyes could possibly believe she was telling anything but the truth.

Alec flicked on the television. It was a news report on the day's incident.

"Questions remain. Community leaders are demanding to know how the creature could have eluded the manhunt with so many law enforcement agencies involved."

"Creature has friends, that's how," said Joshua.

"Annie Fisher, the kidnap victim, had this to say after her ordeal:"

The picture changed to Annie, covered in a blanket in front of an ambulance. "I wasn't kidnapped. He didn't hurt me. We only went into the sewers because some thugs were going to beat him up. Joshua is gentle and kind. He'd never hurt anyone."

"Psychologists suggest that after her trauma, Miss Fisher has been undergoing a form of Stockholm Syndrome..."

"Because no one could possibly have anything good to say about transgenics," said Max.

"Annie," said Joshua, looking at the image of her face on the screen.

"Don't worry buddy," said Alec. "I got you covered." He lifted a slip of paper from his pocket. "Annie's phone number."

Max rolled her eyes, but grudgingly smiled all the same.

The news report continued. "Once again, the attacker remains at large. And equally disturbing are rumours that a transgenic from what is apparently called the X-series, which appear to be human while possessing extraordinary strength and speed, may have assisted in the creature's escape."

"Thought you were laying low," said Max to Alec.

"Hey, you helped, too," he said.

"You didn't hear them say, a pregnant X-series transgenic, did you?"

Joshua grabbed them both in a big hug, snuffing the argument.

x X X x

A/N: Next chapter might be late. I'm recovering from last night. Lol.


	18. Chapter 18

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: I am posting this instead of sleeping, so please excuse any errors. Or rather, let me know if you see something odd in your reviews.

Chapter 18

"Uh, Normal," said Alec, when he realised the man was pointing a gun at the very non-transgenic, Sky. "You want to put the gun down before you hurt someone?"

"He's one of them! He's got a barcode!"

"Right," said Alec, walking over and snatching the gun from Normal, quickly emptying it.

By then, Sky had rubbed his own neck and realised that he had ink on it.

"Well, he could have been one. Anybody could be. Let that be a lesson to all of you: vigilance."

Alec shared a look with Original Cindy.

"Don't look at me," she said. "You're his golden boy."

Alec had to work on damage control. "Crash, anyone? Huh? I'm buying. Sky?"

x x x

Annie was visiting Joshua, so Max had gone out to get groceries to give the two of them some time alone. When she got back he was painting. Not another portrait of Annie, but another abstract piece.

Max stared at it. "That's beautiful," she said. It evoked a peace in her that she'd never really known before. A feeling of... home. "What is it?" she asked, knowing instinctively that it wasn't a who.

"Terminal City," said Joshua. "Paradise."

Well if that didn't freak the hell out of Max, nothing ever had. "Terminal City is a biochemical wasteland. Not paradise."

"Transhumans there," said Joshua.

"Who told you that?" But Max already knew. "Alec. It's not safe there."

"It's not safe here," said Joshua.

"Yeah," said Max. "But you've got me, and the baby when it comes. And Annie."

"Yes," said Joshua. "Home is here. But one day, paradise."

Max wasn't sure if she agreed with that sentiment, but she let it go. As long as

Joshua was staying safe where she could see him, she couldn't care less what he thought about Terminal City.

x x x

Logan called Max with some news. "Dr Carr said there was as girl at his office, pretending to be you. I saw her for a second, she looked exactly like you."

"Pregnant?" said Max.

"She must have been your clone, but she was only pretending to be pregnant." And that was more suspicious than anything else. A transgenic might be looking for information, but it was likely that anyone would hand it out to someone who looked identical to Max. But if she was actually trying to make them believe she was Max... she must have some agenda.

"Do you think White's involved?"

"I don't know," said Logan. "But you need to find her before things get out of hand."

"Alec's going to love that," said Max.

x x x

"Whoa," said Alec, seeing Max outside Jam Pony. "You're not supposed to be here."

"And why not?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Alec raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Because Normal told you that if you came back he'd fire you?"

Max looked a little confused by his statement.

Alec blinked again. "You're not Max, 453. You're not even pregnant." They'd only seen each other in passing a couple of times. And that had been years ago. As clones of the escapees they'd never been allowed to speak to each other once Manticore pulled them out of units. So they'd known exactly who they were because of it.

"It's Sam, 494."

"It's Alec, Sam. Why are you pretending to be Max?"

She looked around, weighing the benefits of taking off. "I needed some information."

"And you couldn't just ask? Who are you working for?"

"None of your business," she said, getting on her motorbike.

"Wait," said Alec, grabbing her shoulder. "If someone's got something on you Max can help. She'll be glad to do it, in fact, because she's going out of her mind stuck at home, pregnant. I know Manticore taught us to look out for ourselves, and I would have done that too, but truth is, the rest of the transgenics are all we've got. So whoever's paying you, we can take them on together."

"No one is paying me anything," she said. "i just want to be left alone."

"So someone's blackmailing you," he said. "I can help."

"And how would you do that?"

"For one thing, I figure you're probably here because you're looking for Max. She's not here, and she's not going to show up here in the next few hours. The only person you're going to see who knows where she is, is me."

"What do you want?" she asked him, eyes narrowed.

"Information," he said. "I want to know who sent you and what exactly you're supposed to do."

Sam assessed him with suspicious eyes. Finally she nodded. "I'm guessing you know a place."

x x x

Alec took Sam back to his place. It was freaking weird staring at her because she looked so much like Max, and yet, nothing like her. Especially now that she'd removed the pregnancy belly she'd been wearing. While his apartment wasn't exactly baby ready, he'd taken home half the presents from their baby shower so there was a good sized pile of stuff the average twenty-something guy doesn't need piled against the nearest wall.

"You're Max's baby's father?" were the first words out of Sam's mouth.

Alec figured he could give her a little information. It wasn't like White hadn't already guessed that he was the baby's father. "We were breeding partners at Manticore."

She turned to him. "What?"

"When's the last time you actually checked in at Manticore?"

"About six months before the place burned down."

"Seriously?"

"I was walking the AWOL line."

"Max and her siblings destroyed Manticore's DNA lab," said Alec. "After that they caught her. They told us to procreate. So we did."

"I bet she didn't like that much."

"She was in heat." Alec shrugged. "So who sent you? Short guy. Dark hair. Leather jacket. Answers to the name White?"

"I guess you've run into him before."

"Let's just say this isn't the first time he's tried to use a transgenic to capture another transgenic," said Alec, rubbing the back of his neck.

"He has my husband," she said. "And his son- our son."

Alec nodded. It was always about the kids. "Well this wouldn't be the first time I pulled off a rescue mission," said Alec. "We could do it together. With a little help from my friends."

"And why would you do that?"

"There's a reason why White wants Max over all the other transgenics in town. I mean, I've been there pissing him off since day one but every time he sees me it's like he's only worried that Max is going to be right behind me."

"And why would that be?"

"That's for her to tell you. It's a long and complicated story that doesn't really have much to do with White having your family."

"I don't get it," said Sam. "Why are you not more pissed off at her? I know who you are, 494. Your clone ran away just like mine did. She never once thought about the rest of us."

"Look," said Alec. "It's not like they knew what would happen to us. It's not even like they knew we existed. And maybe it took ten years, but they did come back for us. Who do you think burned down Manticore?"

"Alright fine," she said. "You help me get my family back, and I'll consider her forgiven."

"Yippee," said Alec.

x x x

Once Logan and Max were clued in on the story, it was easy to think up a plan. Even if they no longer had Logan's equipment after White's raid.

"White wants his son back," said Max. "It's personal for Sam, so let's make it personal for him. The boy for your family."

"White's not stupid," said Alec. "Unless we actually show him the kid he's not going to have any reason to try to trade. And you've hidden the boy too far away anyway."

"He's going to try to double cross us. But we're going to have to double cross him."

x x x

They planned the trade at Terminal City. The transhumans who guarded the entrance were wary at first, but Joshua had come along for the ride. Secretly, Max wanted to show him that TC was far from paradise. The rest of them thought it would just be easier to deal with the transhumans if they had one with them.

Sam pretended that she had Max in custody and that Max had tried to make a deal with her, offering her White's son. So when White came with his two hostages, he didn't have all the back-up he might have otherwise brought for business that wasn't personal.

It was almost too easy with the transgenic army behind them. And for the first time, Alec thought they might actually be able to do something more than running and hiding from the government. They might actually be able to make the world acknowledge that they were people with the right to live free, the same as any other retired soldier.

x X X x

A/N: Let me know if I missed something.


	19. Chapter 19

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: I can't believe I'm nineteen chapters into this thing. The last three are longer, so I'm going back to daily updates after chapter twenty.

Chapter 19

It wasn't easy, but once the transgenics started working together, they really started working together. Once everyone started talking, it was easy to see that everyone liked the idea of a Terminal City that was paradise. Where the transgenics could live normal lives together in peace, unbothered by the outside world.

Having assimilated best into the outside world, Max and Alec found themselves making deliveries and pick-ups for those in the city. And once again, Alec's contacts came in handy, more than happy to expand into a new market, though they didn't realise how new it was. It was easy for Alec to get things like more clothes and bedding when he needed a lot, always saying it was for some 'refugees' that they understood to mean 'illegal immigrants'. It was perhaps a little too close to the truth, but they only ever dealt with Alec and he was careful that he was never followed.

When everyone in TC was settled appropriately, it was obvious that they could do more for those transgenics remaining on the outside. Unfortunately, short of putting out the message to trustworthy friends, there wasn't any way to indicate that they could regroup at TC. Advertising was more likely to bring Ames White and his Familiars to their door to blow them up. So far they'd done pretty well at pretending there weren't any more people in TC than there were before Manticore blew up. Most of the time, they just picked things up on the police scanner... and when transgenics had already been picked up on the police scanner, things were generally going poorly for whatever transgenic refugee was in question.

Alec had been surprised to find his friend Biggs at Terminal City when he arrived. Biggs had seemed like the sort of guy who could manage to make a life for himself outside Manticore's walls without help. Alec had thought it was strange that he'd bothered to find his way toward the other transgenics.

"I just thought everyone else could use some help," he said.

Alec helped Biggs and the other X5s who were similarly inclined to get jobs at Jam Pony. And in return, whoever was out and about helped get transgenics into TC when they found them. Working for Jam Pony had so many benefits, that Max was really starting to miss working there. They could always say they had legitimate business in every sector and no one questioned them. Plus you didn't need anything more than a pair of legs and a sense of direction to be a messenger, which the X5s all had, and they fell right into the preferred age bracket. They didn't even have to wait in line at every checkpoint the way the average citizen had to. As the number of X5s working at Jam Pony grew, Alec made sure that they were out and about at all times. Mostly in pairs, just in case they needed to help someone out.

Luke called Alec to let him know that a transgenic had been spotted in sector five. Within seconds, Alec, Biggs and Cece (one of the newest arrivals) went to fetch him. Alec noted that as usual, White was already there. He had to work out how the man's efforts were more coordinated than the transgenics'. They could probably stand to learn something. Other than that, the rescue mission was a complete success. No casualties on either side, and one frosty transgenic safely behind TC's fence.

x x x

Max could not be stopped from going on a scavenging mission throughout TC. Alec wasn't really trying to stop her. Truth was, with Logan camped at Joshua's house with Max, Alec was starting to wonder if maybe the two of them were perhaps rekindling their romance. He hated the idea that he might actually be jealous and so pretended that those feelings didn't exist.

"That's a snake," said Alec, shutting the door he'd just opened.

Max gave him an odd look, then opened it up again. "What the hell is that doing here?"

"I don't know," said Alec. "Can we please go now?"

"You don't like snakes," Max said to him, a smirk on her face.

"Nobody likes snakes," said Alec.

"Ames White and his Familiars like snakes," said Max.

"All the more reason for me to dislike them," said Alec.

"So what is it about them that you don't like?" asked Max. "Is it their unblinking eyes or their scales?"

Alec found himself backing away from Max and the snake. "Sue me for not liking it when their fangs dig into my ankles."

Max laughed and shut away the snake. "Come on," she said. "Let's get this stuff to Logan."

And though Alec bristled a little at the mention of Logan, the fact that she automatically assumed he'd come with her assuaged the feeling. Whatever was going on between him and Max had nothing to do with Logan.

x x x

Alec wanted to kill someone. He wanted to tear them limb from limb and make an example of them. To show them what sort of animal he really was. Because Biggs... Biggs had been his only friend back at Manticore. He was too busy getting the Psy-Ops treatment to make real friends in an environment that had never encouraged the practice. But he'd been sent on the Volkovitch job with Biggs, and they'd saved each other's butts and made a lifelong friendship out of it. If only lifelong hadn't only meant five years. How could it have been such a short amount of time?

Max was just as upset. She hadn't been thinking about starting a war, but that's what this was now. It was one thing to take on White and his men. That wasn't the general populace. But when Joe Normal started wanting to tear them apart himself? She was not okay with that. She wasn't okay with a witch hunt. She wasn't okay with being hunted down with no chance of a trial when their only crime was being born. Okay, so they weren't the most law abiding of people, but that was because they weren't given the privileges of citizens; they weren't allowed to be law abiding. It was impossible for them. Even for someone like Biggs who'd never run the sort of scams that Alec had, or stolen things the way Max had. Sure he'd killed people, but that could be considered under active duty. And even though he could have made a life for himself out in the world, all he'd done was go to Terminal City to help out those who couldn't. And for that they'd killed him.

Max hadn't known Biggs as long as Alec had. She probably didn't have the right to call him a friend. But Biggs had been part of her family. And to Max, family meant everything. Especially when just being part of her family opened you up to attack. Especially when there was no one else to look out for them. Especially when they were so lost and homeless. And so Max called for weapons, and started planning a war.

x x x

Beating a few guys to a bloody pulp did make Alec feel better. But mostly, he just compartmentalised. He took his feelings for Biggs, and shoved them into the box with his feelings for Rachel... alongside all of the things that Manticore had taken from him, directly or indirectly. But this time, the fault was with humanity itself. Its fear of the unknown, and White's fearmongering. Manticore had made them to be slaves. Why couldn't the ordinaries see that?

Alec pasted a smile on his face and went back to pretending that everything was okay. That Max wasn't most likely going to have to give birth in a warzone, to a baby that would probably come out with all kinds of freaky markings on its entire body. That the highlight of his day was taking and placing bets on Mole and Frosty's weather-off. Pretending that the world wasn't burning up around them.

x x x

Without questioning his motives, Alec found himself up on the Space Needle, sitting next to Max. Shoulder to shoulder, they didn't speak for a long time. Alec wondered if Max was doing what he was doing: staring out at everyone in the city, wondering who was on their side. Wondering if any of them could look at his face and just tell that he was different, and if they'd string him up like a witch if they saw it.

Max shifted, leaning against Alec's shoulder. Alec draped his arm around her. In that moment, Alec knew they didn't have to speak. They'd give and take whatever emotional support they needed from each other, and the other would give it freely. They'd somehow come to rely on each other in the good way. Not in the one-sided, I'm going to fall to pieces if you disappear, kind of dependence. But in the reciprocal, it's impossible to be truly alone, kind of way.

Alec knew exactly how they'd come to rely on each other in this way. He also knew that though Max might acknowledge it in her heart, she was nowhere near close enough to admitting it aloud; to verbally expressing her own depth of emotion.

But her actions spoke loudly enough for Alec. Max didn't try to spend more time with Logan and away from him. She always mentioned when she was seeing Rafer casually in the same way she mentioned hanging out with Sketchy or OC. Although she always teased him about the stupid game he had going with Asha, she never gave any indication that she thought it was more than a game, that there were any feelings involved on either side.

In a someday that lumped itself in with all the rest of the pipe dreams, Alec would hear Max say what they both knew to be true.

x x x

Sketchy reached for Alec's arm and pulled him aside just as he was about to leave Jam Pony the next day.

"I know," he said to Alec.

"Know what?" asked Alec, more than willing to play off whatever Sketchy thought he knew.

"You don't have to keep pretending, fooling poor dumb Sketchy who doesn't know the difference between a guy in a mask and a monster."

"Whoa," said Alec, raising his hands. "I don't think you're dumb."

"Oh yeah? Then why did you let Original Cindy in on the secret, and not me?"

"I think maybe you should talk to Max," said Alec. "I've been your friend, man. I didn't keep anything from you for the hell of it. Max is the one who told OC. I just happened to run into her world. You know sometimes I don't even think I'm in control of my own life anymore? It's all Max. Max drags me here, drags me there and somehow I'm still here."

"But I remember your first day at Jam Pony," said Sketchy. "Max didn't want you here."

"Yeah," said Alec. "I'd kind of pissed her off the day before."

Sketchy laughed. "I know the feeling."

"We're still the same people you knew yesterday, though," said Alec. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," said Sketchy. "I didn't have to be told. It's just so weird."

"Well, imagine being raised to be a soldier. Holding a gun as soon as your fingers learn to pull a trigger. And lasers in your eyes every time they thought you had done something wrong. Never really understanding anything because they never told you anything. Never talked about the world outside and how it was so different from the one you'd been born in. You were born, Sketchy. You don't know what kind of a privilege it is, to not question whether or not you have a soul. No one asked us if we wanted to be born and become soldiers. I doubt we would have said yes."

"It's like slavery," said Sketchy.

"Then Max blew the place to bits and we got everyone out. Except now people want to kill us instead of brainwash us."

"I get it now," said Sketchy. "You can count on me for anything."

"Thanks," said Alec. "We're going to need all the help we can get."

x X X x

A/N: Next chapter should be up in half a day.


	20. Chapter 20

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Look, it's a milestone. Twenty chapters is the most I've ever posted on this site. It's also the last of the episode specific chapters. Tomorrow we head into crazy territory. Actually, make that today. I think the end of this chapter made more sense when I wrote it.

Chapter 20

Since Logan's apartment had been raided, he was basically homeless. He was staying at Joshua's place with Max. At first Joshua had been there, too, with Logan sleeping on the couch. But he couldn't do that for long because of his back, and Joshua spent a lot of time at TC anyway, so he ended up moving out.

Alec didn't like the situation, but he also didn't like the idea of having Logan at his place, which was the only other option. He trusted Joshua was Max's safety more than he did Logan so he had to make a few plans. He got Luke on it and pretty soon the basement was going to be a direct line to the sewer system that Max loved so much. Luke had thought it was a good idea to add their own unofficial entrances to the sewers, just in case. No one had to say in case of what.

Alec found himself somehow falling into the role of caretaker. Because he'd been the one to convince the transhumans and the X-series transgenics to work together, apparently that made him responsible for all of them. Not only that, he had to take care of Max who was now so pregnant she could hardly move. He wouldn't let her into TC, either, which pissed her off. But until the baby was born and they were sure he or she had all the protections that a transgenic would have, Alec didn't want him or her exposed to the toxins in the place. It meant that though Max was the one who wanted the united transgenic nation, Alec was the one who actually had to put in the work. He started to view working at Jam Pony as a relief, when previously it had been a means to an ended.

x x x

Alec's day started out well. Because of that, he should have known better than to think it wouldn't turn to crap by the end of his shift. Normal had remembered his 'birthday', the random collection of numbers he'd decided upon when filling out his Jam Pony application. He'd eaten a surprisingly tasty cake, considering it lacked butter and eggs.

He was between runs and most of the transgenics were out on runs themselves. The only one left behind was CeCe. Alec liked the girl well enough, but she reminded him so much of Biggs. Biggs had been the one to rescue her and take her to TC. And Biggs had been the one to teach her how to survive out here. Seeing CeCe without Biggs just didn't seem to make any sense to Alec. So he'd compartmentalised as always and pretended she was just another X5 trying to make her way in the universe. So while being the only transgenic left with CeCe was enough to sour Alec's day a little, he didn't let it get to him.

And then he walked out into a hostage situation. When this was all over, he and Mole were going to have _words_, damnit. The lizard-man was not allowed to just point a gun at him, and he most especially was not allowed to blow Alec's cover like this.

They made their way back inside Jam Pony, past Normal and the rest of the messengers, and tried to get out the back door. Until the damn gun-happy cops decided to put a bullet in Alec. Which hurt. More than Alec had suspected that it would. He'd never been shot before. His transgenic reflexes had always managed to save him from that. And now... this was just one more thing to add to his list of things to be pissed off at Mole for.

"Hold it right there, freak show!" And Normal was holding a gun in Alec's general direction. If that wasn't the most terrifying thing Alec had seen today... "Okay, you're safe now."

Yeah, right. "No," he said, then blurred over to grab Normal's gun. "I'm safe now."

He felt kind of bad about what Normal must be thinking. But at least Alec got the opportunity to out himself.

And because it was what he'd been doing for the past few weeks, Alec once again took charge of the few transgenics in his employ, hoping to stop everything from spiralling out of control.

x x x

After Max got the call from Joshua, she and Logan packed into his Aztek and headed straight for the scene of the crime. "Sending Mole and Joshua out was so not my idea," she said, as Logan drove. "I bet it was Alec. I'm glad he's going to be pissed when they show up there."

Logan let her rant. He knew it was her way of relieving the stress. Alec rambled, and Max ranted about Alec. If he and Max hadn't given their fling an ending, he'd probably be insanely jealous at this point in time.

Logan pulled up as close to the scene as he could but it was already crowded with onlookers. The local police were already there, and Logan could bet White would be here as soon as physically possible. Max got out of the car and had walked away before Logan could catch up to her. He watched as the crowd parted for the pregnant woman. She got to the barrier they'd set up easily enough.

Logan half wished he was in his wheelchair. The crowd would likely have parted for him in a similar fashion. As it was, it took a lot longer for him to get to the front of the crowd than it did for Max. She was already halfway across the territory the police had staked out for themselves before one of them tried to stop her.

Logan watched as they first had polite, then rougher words for Max. Watched as she tossed back a few of her own about how the father of her child was in there and she just sounded so much like a hysterical pregnant woman that Logan himself wondered just how badly she wanted to get in there to be with Alec. The officers were reluctant to put their hands on her, and by the time they tried, Max was already at the door, dodging them faster than any pregnant woman should have been able to.

She knocked a seemingly random stream on the door, but it opened soon enough and Max was inside before Logan could see who'd opened the door for her.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he muttered to himself, certain that she had no idea.

x x x

Alec looked up when he heard the knock on the door. Everyone in the room did. Only he and the other transgenics understood it as simply Morse code for 452.

"Max," he said, suddenly pissed. He stood up, even as Dalton protested that he hadn't finished with his bandage.

Joshua had already opened and shut the door for Max.

"Who ordered a pizza?" she quipped.

Alec was in her face in a second, gunshot wound be damned. "What the hell are you doing here? This is the stupidest risk you've taken with the baby since you found out you were pregnant." Alec didn't even know where to go with his rant because Max knew everything that he was saying. She knew exactly how ridiculous it was that she'd wandered right into a hostage situation and had gone and done it anyway. "Why, Max? What on earth could have possessed you to come here?"

And Max did the last thing that anyone in the room expected her to do. She took a step forward, grabbed Alec's chin and kissed him. He kissed back for a second, then she pulled away. He looked at her, dazed through fluttering eyelashes.

"I couldn't let you go through this alone," she said, a concerned furrow between her brows. "You'd probably screw it up," she added to lighten the mood. Max looked at the bandage on Alec's arm, catching the loose end and carefully securing it. "Looks like you've already started."

"Don't even joke about that," said Alec. "I was pretending to be a hostage and they still shot me. These ordinaries have the worst aim."

Max cuffed the back of his head, though more gently than she would have if he hadn't been injured. "I thought you didn't want any jokes." She looked around. "We need to get organised."

"We are organised," said Alec. "CeCe's on watch. The exits are covered. Everyone knows who's in charge. You really didn't need to bust in here."

"So you're just, what? Waiting?" asked Max.

"Don't tell me you have a better idea."

Max looked around at the messengers who were still staring at them as they had their conversation. "As a matter of fact, I do."

x x x

"All right, people, listen up. I know things are really tense right now," said Max to her co-workers.

"Gee, I wonder why."

Alec silenced the messengers with a glare. He'd always had authority among the messengers because they knew he could beat them to a pulp. Now knowing that it was genetically given to him didn't stop that from being true.

"But if you'll just sit tight and be patient, me and mine will get out of here before you know it."

Normal stood. "Well, I got a hot flash for you, girlfriend. Me and mine are gonna get out of here right now. Let's go, people! Bip, bip, bip!"

"Hang on," said Alec. They couldn't go anywhere. "Sit down."

Max's plan of trying to get the messengers on side wasn't working out so well. But Original Cindy stepped in and the crisis was averted for the time being.

x x x

The television was switched on. It was more of the same transgenic-hating trash that had been going on since the start of what was looking to become a siege.

"Sit down, Max," said Alec, coming up behind her and pushing her onto a nearby chair. "I'm pretty sure Gem's in labour and that's already one more pregnant chick than the rest of us can deal with."

Max sighed. "Sitting down doesn't make the baby more or less likely to come out."

"Humour me," said Alec. "Since you haven't done it all day." He went to his locker and retrieved the remains of the birthday cake Normal had made for him, and a bottle of water. "Here," he said, giving them to Max.

"What's this?" she asked, staring at the cake after she'd gotten a sip of water.

"It's my birthday, didn't you know?"

"Yeah right," said Max. A thought then occurred to her. "Actually, Logan's got the entire Manticore database. I could probably find out everyone's birthdays."

"Really?" asked Alec. He was surprised. It was a strangely human thing, to have a birthday, and Alec kind of wanted one for real. Much as he liked to pretend that being transgenic was everything he wanted, some days he wanted more normal.

Max nodded. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before. When this is over, I'm going to find everyone's."

x x x

The phone rang. Max got up, wanting to take it, but Alec was faster.

"Oh come on," said Max. "A little negotiating isn't going to affect the baby."

"Sit down," he said.

"If it's a package, get a number," called Normal.

Alec picked up. "Jam Pony messenger service."

"Detective Ramon Clemente of the Seattle P.D. Who is this?"

"You can call me Mr. McDowell, Detective," said Alec. "I'll be your negotiator this afternoon."

"I hear you've gotten yourself into a situation in there, Mr. McDowell," said Detective Clemente.

"This was so not my fault," said Alec. "There I am, minding my own business when, wham-bam hostage situation. Not what any of us were thinking when we woke up this morning."

"Well I'm glad you feel that way, Mr. McDowell," said Clemente. "Since we seem to be on the same page here, why don't you release your hostages and we can all go home."

"If only it were that simple," said Alec. "We're going to need transportation." He mentally counted off the transgenics in the place. "A van. Full tank of gas."

"Now wait a second, you've got to give a little to get a little," he said. "I understand you have a wounded man and two pregnant women in there who I'm sure need medical attention."

"The bullet hole in my arm is fine, thanks for asking," he said. "As for the other two, I'm guessing you don't have any kids. To even suggest that a pregnant woman needs some help is like telling any other woman you think she's PMS-ing."

"I see," said Clemente. "If I agree to your terms, when do I get my hostages?"

"Half when the van arrives, half when we get to our destination."

"Which would be?"

"Somewhere we can start this whole song and dance all over again," said Alec. "Without the hostages. It's bad enough working at Jam Pony without feeling trapped here."

"I'll let you know when transportation has been arranged."

"I suppose that'll be after you've arranged your SWAT team?"

"Sounds to me like this might not be your first rodeo, Mr. McDowell."

"Oh, it is," said Alec. "I'm just a genius." And then he hung up.

x x x

Max sat beside Gem. She hadn't really bonded with any of the other pregnant women at TC, but Gem hadn't had that chance yet, and she was looking pretty nervous about the whole thing. Judging by the way Gem was about as far along as she was, Max said, "Breeding program?"

"Breeding program," said Gem with a nod.

"Who was it? Maybe I know him."

"No," said Gem. "You wouldn't have met him." Her Manticore mask fell over her face full-force and Max had a feeling whoever it had been was no longer alive.

"The one with the hole in his arm was mine," said Max.

"Really?" said Gem. "Huh."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I saw you kiss him when you came in. Didn't think that was Manticore match-making."

"Oh yeah," said Max. She'd forgotten. Not that she'd kissed Alec, she could never forget something like that. She'd forgotten that anyone else was watching. "We're not really... like that. Just hormones, I guess."

"Right," said Gem with something of a wry chuckle. "Because you get this far along and think more sex is a good idea."

Max actually blushed. "It's complicated," she said. "But I'd hate it if he died. I want him to be my baby's father, you know?"

"That must be nice," said Gem.

"Hey," said Max. "You'll meet someone."

"If we ever get out of this place," said Gem. "I heard it was your idea for us to come here. Why?"

"Alec was supposed to get you a car," said Max. "It was the best I could do under the circumstances. You wouldn't know it, but this is actually the start of the transgenic underground."

Gem looked at Normal, and Max caught her gaze. "With that guy in charge?"

"Perfect cover, right?" Max smiled. "Besides, even if we never do get out of here, the guys in here aren't all bad. On good days, I even call them my friends."

Gem laughed, and it turned into something more like a wince. "I've gotta pee."

"Through there," said Max, indicating.

x x x

The phone rang and Alec answered in the same way he had the first time.

"I've got your vehicle," said Clemente. "Now send out your hostages."

"They're not my hostages," said Alec. "I mean sure, I'm preventing them from leaving, but that's just because I know you'll come in and shoot me if I do."

"I wouldn't do that," said Clemente. "You have my word."

"Maybe," said Alec. "You ever met a guy named Ames White? I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. Which, you'll find, is not as far as I can throw you."

"I'm twice as tall as that guy," said Clemente.

"So you have met him," said Alec. "I'm not liking this situation so much anymore."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Clemente. "We had a deal, Mr. McDowell."

"I'm still willing to deal," he said. "You brought the van, so I'll let you have a third of the hostages. A third once you make sure White and anyone he brought with him is no longer in this sector. The rest once we reach our destination."

"You know, before the Pulse, we had a saying," said Clemente. "Don't negotiate with terrorists."

"Me? A terrorist? I haven't even threatened to blow anyone up yet. And hey, if I shot anyone, it's no worse than anything that's been done to me."

"Give me the phone," snapped Max, hearing how well the conversation was going.

"No," said Alec, holding it out of her reach. He jumped up onto Normal's desk to get out of Max's reach. "Hello? Clemente? This is a better deal than you were going to get, you know? Two-thirds before we even leave this place. How can you really argue with that?" The most important thing to Alec was that White stayed away, because that meant they were more likely to stay alive. The most important thing to Clemente was that the hostages were released unharmed. Whatever White wanted didn't matter in this negotiation. Not while Clemente remained in charge.

"Okay," said Clemente. "I'll see if I can get rid of him. I don't like the guy much anyway."

"Feeling's mutual," said Alec.

"But the longer this takes," said Clemente. "The more likely I am to come in with smoke bombs."

"Transgenics, remember?" said Alec. "You really think a little smoke is going to slow us down?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm warning you not to do anything stupid," said Alec. "I swear on my little genetically engineered heart that I do not want to hurt anyone in here. I just want to get out of here so that we can all move on with our lives. I'm absolutely certain I want to get out of here more than you do. I'm dealing with two pregnant women and a hole in my arm."

"Just so we're clear," said Clemente.

"Crystal," said Alec. He hung up. He turned to Max. "He's going to try to get White out of the way. We'd better get everyone organised into three groups. I promised him a third straight out."

x x x

Morale at Jam Pony wasn't particularly high. The first group of hostages had just been released and everyone else was just tired of being there. There had almost been a fight when choosing who went into which group. But for the most part, the messengers were just bored and annoyed. After the initial fear of having Joshua and Mole come into their workplace armed, they were just Jam Pony employees. A bunch of twenty-something slackers who would really like a drink.

Logan called Max with what he could see and hear of White and Clemente's confrontation. White was pissed off. Clemente was an immovable object. Then White backed up with his partner, Gottlieb. But just before they left, Logan saw some new people arrive, and he was betting they were Familiars.

"So," said Logan. "I guess chances are he's going to intercept you on the way to TC."

"Which is why we can't go straight there," said Max. She was on watch at the same time, away from the other messengers. "We're going to need your help, since no one currently in TC can get out right now without walking straight into White."

"I can't say that everyone Eyes Only works with is sensitive to the transgenic cause," said Logan. "But I can get the S1W on board, since you've personally helped them out."

"I just need access to the sewers away from the rest of my fellow messengers." Max paused, looking out the window at the van. "And some way to shake our tail."

Logan nodded, though he couldn't see Max. "I've got you covered."

"Thanks, Logan."

Max hung up just in time to hear the phone downstairs ring. They could let the next group of messengers go, but after that they were going to have to stall.

x x x

Half an hour after they let their next hostages go, they were finally ready to leave. Clemente was at the end of his rope, but they needed things to be in place before they left.

"Okay," said Max, to the remaining Jam Pony employees. "We're going to need you guys to cover us. With any luck, no one gets hurt."

"Luck?" said Normal.

"It depends on whether White actually pulled back or not," said Max. "Believe me when I say that none of us want you to get hurt."

"Speak for yourself," said Mole.

"Don't mind him," said Max. "He's just sour. All the time."

"I need a cigar," said Mole. He was chewing on the stub of the one he'd come in with.

"Didn't you bring any?" asked Max.

"Don't worry buddy," said Alec, heading back toward his locker. "I've got you covered." He came back, holding a cigar out, but he snatched it away when Mole tried to take it. "You're not going to hurt any of my friends, are you?"

"Sure, whatever," said Mole.

Alec let Mole take the cigar and in a second it was in his mouth, lit and puffing away like a chimney.

"So," said Alec. "We're clear? One Jam Pony employee per transgenic for cover."

"You need one too," said Max. "You outed yourself to Clemente."

"I'll cover you," said CeCe. "They don't know about me."

Max was with OC. Joshua was with Sketchy. Normal was with Mole, and the few remaining messengers covered their other sides.

"Twenty steps," said Max. "Then we're a go."

Joshua opened the door.

"We're coming out!" called Max to the police, then addressed the messengers. "Everyone move slowly. Don't let them get a shot off. No sudden movements. No freaking out, and we'll all get out of this alive. When you get on the bus, stay low. Sketchy, you're driving." Alec protested, but then his arm protested that, and that was the end of that argument.

Twenty steps later, they were all on the bus.

"Drive, Sketchy," said Max. And then they were off. She directed him on a course through the sector away from Terminal City.

Alec was on the phone with Asha, coordinating their arrival.

x x x

Gem started screaming, having her first really bad contraction. Original Cindy was with her, holding her hand and trying to help her breathe through it. Max was trying to avoid listening to it, knowing that she was going to be next in only a short amount of time... hopefully not today she thought, unconsciously clenching her thighs together.

Knowing they were being pursued, they raced for their target. As they neared, a crash suddenly occurred behind them, any immediate followers would be stalled by a staged car accident similar to the one that had gotten them into this mess earlier in the day.

Sketchy pulled the van into a warehouse, and at the same time, a vehicle exactly like the one they were driving pulled out of the alley beside it. If the van hadn't been bugged, it was going to be good enough to throw off anyone too single-minded to notice.

"Everybody out," yelled Max. Another member of the S1W took the van, and it was off, following a similar but not identical track as the decoy vehicle. "Okay team Jam Pony, thank you for your patience today. If you can hang on and give us a half-hour head start it would be much appreciated."

Dalton and Joshua helped Gem into the back of a nearby car. CeCe got into the driver's seat. The other transgenic getaway vehicle was Logan's Aztek, ready to take another round of shots.

"Sorry to leave you here," said Max to OC. "But you don't really want to be going into TC anyway. We might not be coming out for a while."

"I'll miss you, boo," OC said, hugging her goodbye.

Max went through a similar goodbye with Sketchy.

"Take care of my boo," said OC to Alec.

"Watch the arm," was all he said.

Normal looked at Alec, seemingly unsure what to say.

Alec grinned at him. "I know." He and Max got into the other car with Mole and Logan.

The S1W helped them out with two more decoy cars, between the Aztek and CeCe's car.

They didn't have far to travel, doubling back toward Jam Pony, just to make sure they weren't being followed. From there it was goodbye to Logan and back into the sewers.

"I hate this," said Alec, once they were splashing around in there. "I'm going to get an infection."

"We don't get infections," said Max.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to make it that far," said Gem, sinking to the ground against the wall.

"Ah crap," said Alec.

x x x

"So," said Alec. Mole and CeCe were scouting ahead to make sure White hadn't decided to set up roadblocks underground. The rest of them were guarding Gem. "I guess it's a bad idea to have a baby in a sewer." He didn't even try to avoid Max's slap. Unexpected, however, was the one Gem gave him.

"Your place isn't far," said Max.

"You want her to have a baby at my place?" said Alec, imagining the mess.

"Well what else are we going to do?" Max stepped closer to Alec, though not as in his face as she would have liked since her belly got in the way.

"All right, fine," he said. "You can wait here. I'll get my car and take Gem back to my place. You will meet us there."

"But-" said Max. She wanted to make sure everyone else got safely to TC.

"You're not leaving me alone with a pregnant woman!"

Max gave him a look.

"You know what I mean," said Alec, throwing his hands up in the air.

Gem let out a cry as another contraction hit her.

Alec turned and bolted from the scene.

x x x

Gem was propped up on Alec's bed, which he was so not okay with, but Max had growled at him when he'd tried to lead Gem over to the couch. Alec thought it might have come out as a roar, had she been a bigger cat. Alec had at least managed to put a sheet of plastic under Gem. He really didn't want to have to throw out his mattress, though. It was the best bed he'd slept on in his life.

They were waiting on Dr. Carr. Alec so did not want to be here. He'd been intending to make himself scarce as soon as he heard anything from Max regarding her own labour. But seeing as Max so far hadn't let him leave when she wasn't the one giving birth, he was beginning to suspect that this wouldn't be the only transgenic birth he was going to have to watch occur.

As Alec looked at the things he'd set up in his apartment for the baby, he wondered if he was really ready for this. If Max was ready for it. They'd so far managed to avoid births at Terminal City, but it was inevitable as the breeding program's effects made themselves known. He and Max had come into the breeding program a little later than most of the transgenics. Max was due in another two weeks, and the rest of the women in TC were due in the meantime. There were five of them. With Gem and Max that made seven. Seven babies. The thought was about to overload Alec's brain.

Max was in the bedroom with Gem. The two of them were sharing the bed and ice chips as though they were popcorn, bonding over their pregnancies. Alec turned up the boob tube to cover their whinging. Gem complained that it was hurting her ears. Max forced Alec to turn it off.

Dr. Carr's knock saved Alec from actually hearing a detailed account of contraction pains. Being a neurologist, delivering babies wasn't exactly Dr. Carr's area of expertise. He'd never actually delivered one before. But he'd been reading up since he found out about Max's pregnancy, simply because he'd become the go-to doctor for anything transgenic related. As far as he could tell, transgenic pregnancy was identical to its human counterpart. He'd brought a portable ultrasound machine with him and was able to show Gem her baby for the first time. Being on the run, she hadn't had the time, or the inclination to find a good GP.

Shortly after that, Luke called from Terminal City with the news that they were currently being staked out not just by the anti-transgenic movement but by the Seattle PD. Oh, and that while they were busy with the baby, White and three of his Familiars had tried to attack at the edge of the fenced off area. They'd retreated when they realised that not only was Max not there, but there was a small army of transgenics waiting in the sewers for them. Alec and Max felt a little bad about missing out on the action, but they all knew the others were capable of handling it. There were no injuries or casualties on either side.

It took another six hours, (during which Dr. Carr had the time to take a look at Alec's bullet wound, which had stopped bleeding and was clearly not infected, and in general was looking to heal quite nicely, and put in a few token stitches) but in the end, Gem had a perfectly healthy, entirely barcode free baby girl.

In those six hours, Max and Alec had time to think through their plan. It made a lot of sense to not move Gem into TC, no matter how much she'd like to stay with more of her own kind. Dr. Carr seemed to think it was pretty likely the baby had all of the transgenic immunity, but he was going to take a look at her blood just to make sure.

x x x

Despite the hostage situation, Max and Alec had been hoping that life could immediately return to normal. The problem was that everyone knew where the transgenic base of operations was, and the police were now staking it out, including the nearby sewers. The fight between the transgenics and the Familiars hadn't exactly been quiet, either, so everyone was well aware that Alec and Max, two of the transgenics' greatest leaders, were not there.

The situation had everyone on edge, and the police a little trigger happy. And though Alec really, really didn't want to have to parade Max in through the front lines of the siege, it was going to have to happen. The public were calling for their blood and they couldn't expose their secret ways in. Neither could they pretend they had been there all along. Too much time had passed.

But with all the preparation for their baby that Alec had been doing, and with Logan, OC and Asha around to help Gem out, it was easy to leave her and the baby she'd decided to name Eve, at Alec's apartment. Max was having Asha collect some clothes for Gem, too.

In the end, Max and Alec made quite the picture. They rode Alec's motorcycle right through the police lines. Max was sitting side-saddle on the back in a way no pregnant woman would have managed were she not transgenic, and they pelted through at a speed his bike shouldn't have been capable of. They had the element of surprise, as no one was expecting anyone to come through from that direction. They went unarmed, and had the gates opened and closed for them before the police had any idea that that was what they'd been trying to attempt.

Never before had the gates of Terminal City seemed so impassable.

x X X x

A/N: Check back tomorrow for the penultimate chapter. (Saying penultimate makes everything sound more significant than it is.)


	21. Chapter 21

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Do you like complaints and excuses? I love making them up. Please excuse anything that doesn't make sense in this chapter because I'm feeling a little crappy, but can't possibly leave you without a chapter today. Oh, and I also have to remind everyone that I am an emotionally stunted human being who can't write romance for crap. You're lucky I don't get paid crap to write this.

Chapter 21

Once on the Terminal City side of the fence, and locked in, Max and Alec stood facing Detective Clemente. A few of TC's denizens had gathered behind them, enough to look pretty impressive.

"You sent us on quite the wild goose chase yesterday," said Clemente.

"What can I say?" said Max. "We've got some good friends."

"Okay, Clemente," said Alec. "We're right where you want us."

"I'm not sure about that," said Clemente. "I think you should be in police custody. You took hostages and threatened to kill them."

"Did I?" asked Alec. "Or was there just a really big misunderstanding because a couple of my friends look a little different and were carrying what appeared to be loaded weapons, but really weren't?"

"If you want to play it that way," said Clemente.

"The way I see it," said Alec. "Is that Terminal City just became the world's first transgenic zoo."

Max elbowed Alec. He shut up and let her do the talking. "We're not animals, detective," she said. "We're people. We may not be entirely human, and we may have been raised as slave soldiers, but that's what we are. We were born on American soil, by the request of the American government, to American citizens, and that's why we're here. Paperwork or no paperwork, we are American citizens and we have rights. That's why we're staying. Unless you're advocating complete genocide, those are the facts you have to face."

"That's not what I'm trying to do here, miss," said Clemente.

"You can call me Max," she said.

"Max," he said. "I'm trying to prevent a bloodbath."

"Good," she said. "Then we're still on the same page. We'd like to talk about this whole situation. But in the meantime, we'll stay on our side of the fence if you stay on yours."

"I'll be sure to mention that when the next group of feds shows up."

"Look, I know this is all going to be out of your jurisdiction pretty soon," said Max. "And the fact that it still is yours is probably just because they're having a fight over whose jurisdiction this is. What I know is that no matter who shows up, there's going to be someone in there who has a more personal agenda against us. This person's first loyalty is not going to be to the government and to the citizens of this country. It's going to be to a subset of humans who believe themselves superior in every way. And I'm not talking about transgenics."

"Colour me intrigued," said Clemente, though he didn't look at all interested.

"Ames White was one of them," said Max. "I bet if you talked to his partner he had no idea what the hell White was up to yesterday." She stopped for a breath. "The point is, for us, there is more at stake. For now you've decided that you don't want to murder us all. I'm guessing that if those of us with more human faces step into the spotlight, we have a chance of convincing the general public, and therefore the government, not to kill us. But there is still that faction that is still going to want us all killed. And, since I'm kind of responsible for all of them, I have to admit that's where I'm going to be focusing my energy."

"So, _you're_ actually in charge," said Clemente, looking between Max and Alec.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Neither of us wanted to be in charge. Max lost that bet."

"There was no bet," said Max. "The only reason why Alec negotiated with you yesterday is because I'm pregnant. It slowed me down just enough to let him get to the phone first."

"You weren't supposed to be there," said Alec, reminded of the fact that Max had walked straight through a police barricade to get to them.

"You can consider him my second-in-command," said Max. "Everyone else in TC does." She smirked at Alec and reached up to ruffle his hair. "I like to think of him as my little sidekick."

"Look," said Alec. "We'll be here, and you'll be there. But this won't be the last you're hearing from us."

x x x

It was Logan's idea to get the media on their side. Eyes Only still had some distance to go before he would be ready to broadcast again, but in the meantime, Sketchy was on their side. He started by writing about his experience as a Jam Pony hostage, and interviewing some of the other people there. He'd even been a real reporter about it and let those who hadn't had such a great experience tell their side of the story. That was mainly Sky, but he'd been released with the first group of messengers, so hadn't been with them for the entire ordeal.

Many of their friends spoke out in their favour. Annie in particular, was adamant that she be allowed to tell her story. And between her and Sketchy, she was finally able to talk about the entire ordeal in the sewers, including the unknown other man who'd threatened her life before she'd been saved by Alec. Even Rafer and Marina, who hadn't known the truth, stuck out their necks in defence of their friends.

But as knowledge was power, there were still some things that they couldn't talk about. And, though they wanted to, it was mainly the breeding cult. There was still so much they didn't know about the markings on Max's skin which periodically appeared and disappeared, and how Sandeman fit in with the cult and with Manticore. If they let out any of their understanding of the situation, the Familiars would be likely to realise how little they knew and use that against them.

Logan had let Max in a little on what the runes on her skin actually meant. Mostly it was that she was somehow destined to be mankind's saviour. Since, of course, it wasn't some sort of divine prophecy, and instead came from the work of a scientist, they had to assume that Max had been specifically created to be the saviour. The only thing they could think of was Max's lack of junk DNA. Unfortunately, they didn't have the right kind of people available to help them decode exactly what it was meant for.

Their every communication was being monitored, so they had to speak plainly, knowing that the government was listening in and could take mundane news as word of threats.

x x x

It was Alec's idea to have Rita, Joshua's art dealer, finally meet the artist the way she'd been dying to. Strangely sales of Joshua's art started picking up at that point. And, their military guards didn't even seem to mind the fact that painted canvases were exchanged for blank ones and painting supplies, paper and office supplies. The money, Rita had to keep on her side of the fence, though she promised it would go to the transgenics. Logan took care of it in Joshua's house.

Unfortunately, it looked like the only way Max and the rest of the transgenics were going to be leaving TC without the threat of violence, was decades away. Though they had time to talk many people around, all they could do was remain present and non-violent. To prove that this was not what they wanted. They did not want violence. They did not want genocide and murder. They only wanted what the rest of the general public took for granted: the ability to raise families, send their kids to school, socialise with their friends, hold down jobs. They weren't asking for much and the sooner everyone saw that, the better. Unfortunately, it looked like they were going to be here for a long time before anyone did.

Max was so not looking forward to giving birth in TC. Meg had last night and it had not been pleasant. Max had had to be talked through the way to negotiate a breech birth, and since she couldn't hold the phone and do it at the same time, Alec had once again been forced into service as Max's slave in the presence of a woman giving birth. He was not a happy midwife.

The problem with staying in TC was that they were sitting ducks. They had their own generator, but it ran on a supply of gas that was quickly dwindling. Some of the older X-series were working on getting some sort of solar or wind turbine set up, but that was probably weeks from completion as no one had ever done it before, let alone made one from the cobbled together remains that were their only supplies in TC.

The diggers had finished their first secret entrance into the sewer system and the exit at Joshua's house, though that was against the rules of their truce. They were working on a couple more, and on digging a well into the water table. The younger X-series had found a few basements that might be able to contain them in the event of a conventional bombing, but nothing should the armed forces resort to nuclear weaponry. In general, they didn't think that was likely, since that would affect the nearby population; no one thought they would be able to organise a large scale evacuation without their noticing.

The greatest threat to their safety remained that of the Familiars. And with no way of getting new information unless it appeared on her skin, Max was stumped. They hadn't made real progress in months. It was only through their interactions with White that they had got anywhere at all.

They entertained themselves with the birthdays. Logan had copied the Manticore database for Luke and Dix, the unofficial heads of Manticore's technology and operations arms, and they had some X8s working on the record of transgenics in TC and registering them with their dates of birth and chosen names, and telling them their birthdays. It was currently the birthday week for one unit of X6s. Manticore had apparently done caesareans on specific dates wherever possible. Many of the mothers hadn't survived the process. Max couldn't help thinking that they'd all but planned it that way so that they wouldn't have to trust that the mothers would keep their mouths shut upon leaving Manticore.

When Max had a spare moment for her own thoughts, Max found it odd that none of the mothers had come forward. She wondered if Manticore still had a hold over them somehow, or if they'd all perished. She longed for her own mother, the woman who'd carried and cared about her, but couldn't help thinking that there was no way she was still alive. She wouldn't put it past Manticore to have sent the women's own sons and daughters after them before long.

Logan had called, not long into the siege, mentioning that Syl and Krit were at Joshua's place with him. Apparently they'd left Zack behind. Max spent a long time convincing the two of them that it was better that they remain out there, even though Max was due to give birth very soon. And it was a bitch not to let their eavesdroppers know that they knew there were other transgenics outside of the fence.

x x x

Max's due date was coming up and so far all but two of the other women had given birth. Alec had only managed to avoid being present at one of them. He didn't know why it always had to be him. The only reason he'd been able to avoid one at all was that Laura and Twist had decided to go into labour at the same time and it had seemed more effective to have them give birth in two separate rooms, one with Max and Meg, and the other with Alec and CeCe. You'd think after sitting through three bouts of labour and three births, Alec might have become a little desensitised about the whole thing. He hadn't.

It still set Alec's nerves on edge to see the woman in pain (since everyone had to do it drug free). It still stung a little when whichever pregnant woman it was told him off just for being born a man. It still totally weirded him out to see the top of the baby's head crown. It still creeped him out when the tiny creature came forth covered in goo, and still attached to its mother (so far two girls and two boys). It still terrified him to cut the cord. It still made him a little woozy making sure that the placenta all came out. It still grossed him out completely when the afterbirth itself made its appearance.

Luckily, once he saw the mother holding her slightly cleaner baby, it still never failed to amaze and delight him... even if he was still usually covered in placenta at that point (disposable gloves were not one of the things that had held up well twelve years after the Pulse). The joy on the mothers' faces, the tiny cries of the babies... they all made Alec feel so strongly paternal that he was always ready to tear straight through the army guarding their gates and force everyone he saw to let them out. He'd almost gotten to the gates twice before Joshua had stopped him from making a tense situation even worse.

To top it all off, Alec and Max hadn't had a chance to talk at all. There was still the Jam Pony kiss hanging in the air between them. Max obviously didn't want to talk about it, as if she'd forgotten about it all. At first Alec was okay with that. They could pretend he was just her sidekick and that the entirety of the transgenic community was more important. But as time wore on, Alec wanted more. He wanted Max. He wanted to have all the things with her that he'd never before entertained having. The kid, of course. A house with a yard. Maybe a dog. Some boring, nine to five job that would mean he spent mornings and evenings and weekends with Max and the kid. Maybe even more than one kid. He wanted to go to bed with Max and wake up with her in the morning. He wanted to fight and squabble with her, then end it all with a kiss that lit his every extremity on fire. And at the same time, he would go without all of that, if only Max would look at him. Would smile at him and tell him that he wasn't the world's biggest screw up. That was all. Alec had it bad and the worst part was that everyone knew it.

When Max went into labour, it actually shocked Alec into stillness for a good thirty seconds before his mind started processing it. It seemed that everyone around them in the command centre had suddenly started to freak out around them. Only Max seemed to remain calm, even as the contractions hit. Alec helped her out of her chair, and soon they were on their way to the rooms they'd set up as a birthing centre/medical wing. So far they hadn't had any bad accidents, so the medical wing had only been used for the most recent births. There were actually hospital beds available amongst the various buildings in TC, which was a lot more comfortable for giving birth than a floor, or even Alec's bed, since the back could rise.

Alec left Max alone to get changed. They didn't have any hospital gowns, so Max was prepared with the sort of nightgown she'd never normally wear. After today she'd probably never wear it again. Alec called Dr. Carr, checking in and letting him know that labour had started in case there was an emergency of some kind. Alec really hoped there wouldn't be an emergency. He'd managed to hold on through Meg's breech birth, but if something went wrong with Max's labour (at least regular ultrasounds meant they knew the baby was correctly positioned), Alec would never forgive himself. It didn't matter that Max's situation had very little to do with him. He'd had sex with her and without that, there would be no baby. Even though there were a million ways that this could go right, if it went wrongly, Alec was going to blame himself.

It was just going to be the two of them. Max had said as much, as soon as it became clear she was going to have to give birth in TC. She didn't want her standing questioned in any way if anything happened during the birth. And as long as nothing went wrong, Alec was capable of doing it all himself. Max had practically trained him for it.

x x x

It was nine hours of waiting. Alec was timing Max's contractions with a combination of the stopwatch on his phone, and his own transgenic brain. He could calculate to the second when Max's next contraction would occur.

Max was surprisingly serene the entire time. It baffled Alec. Max was so likely to throw a bitchy fit in normal circumstances, that she didn't when in the very circumstances in which she'd be most entitled, it was nerve-wracking.

"Would you stop that?" Alec snapped at her.

Max looked up from the ice she'd been sucking on. "Stop what?"

"You're acting all calm and pacific," he said. "The Max I know is not like that."

Max shrugged, wincing as another contraction overtook her. "I think I'm just relieved this is all going to be over in a few more hours."

Alec didn't even know how to process that statement. There were a million tiny little things that could go wrong between now and a baby being born. "So," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "We're this close. Mind telling me whether it's a boy or a girl?"

Max laughed and it was caught in another contraction. "You'll have to wait."

Alec pouted.

"Oh come on," said Max. "You're going to be the first person in the world to see this baby. Let me have something."

And that actually had Alec feeling all glowy inside. He was going to be the first person to ever see their baby up close and personal. And though Alec knew that this first glimpse was going to be covered in various fluids and a smattering of blood, he was going to cherish it for the rest of his life.

Max had another contraction.

"I'm going to need to take a look behind the curtain," said Alec. Max only gestured vaguely, which Alec took as permission to lift up the blanket that was covering her legs. "Looks like you're fully dilated. I guess it's time to push."

x x x

Alec lost all sense of time after that. Max pushed. Then he saw the baby's rather hairless head. Then the baby's whole head was out, and shoulders, and he was holding a baby. A baby who had yet to cry. Alec, though a little disgusted by the process, sucked the remaining placenta from his baby's mouth before he even had a chance to process whether it was a boy or a girl. Then the baby screamed in a way that some subconscious part of Alec realised had Max giggling a little in glee.

It was a girl, Alec realised as he towelled her off. He had a daughter. Alec was pretty sure he'd have forgotten all the other steps that came after the birth if Max hadn't grunted then and demanded he hand over her daughter. He cut the cord, made sure everything was tied off neatly, then reluctantly handed the baby over to Max before he could just run away with her.

x x x

"I'm glad it was you," said Max, cradling the baby and unable to stop staring at her.

Everything was over and the room was as clean as Alec was going to get it. Alec was sitting on the bed next to Max, unwilling to go more than two steps from their baby.

She was sleeping and Alec had one finger trailing along the top of her head, while Max held her.

"What was me?" Alec asked, completely distracted.

"You that Manticore sent that day I was in heat," said Max. "It could have gone really differently, and I really kind of like it this way."

"Yeah," said Alec. "Me too."

"So what do we call her?" Max asked.

"You're asking me? I thought you had it all figured out," said Alec. "You're the one who knew she was going to be a girl."

Max laughed. "I didn't, actually. I wanted to be surprised."

"Are you kidding me?" groaned Alec.

"I was thinking Sasha," said Max. "Or Sandra."

"I think she looks more like an Alice," said Alec.

"Alice," said Max, smiling down at her daughter. "I like it. Hello Alice."

"Hi Alice," said Alec, kissing her gently on her forehead. Alice's nose crinkled, causing both her parents to coo. Alec looked at Max. "Were you just purring?"

"No," said Max. "If I was, you were, too."

"So I guess no one was purring, then," said Alec.

"Guess not," said Max.

She rested her head on Alec's shoulder. And though she probably didn't want to, she fell asleep. That was okay. Alec was wide awake enough to be protect them all.

x x x

Alec had to say, that he had no idea what happened in the next month after Alice was born. Somehow TC kept on ticking on around them. The Familiars hadn't launched any kind of attack at all, seemingly waiting for something. The government kept a close eye on them, and though it was difficult, for the most part, they kept their pact that they would stay on this side of the fence and not the other. Alec had no idea how the machinations were going. He barely paid attention to the fact that Terminal City's residents were gradually growing restless.

Alec's mind had two focal points, and two only. Alice had become the centre of his universe. One tiny little girl who barely knew how to smile and seemed incapable of staying awake more than a second or two, except when he wanted to get some sleep. She was an inescapable force of nature that drew him in at any hour of the day or night.

Max and Alec hadn't intended to cohabitate, but Alec couldn't draw himself away from his daughter and Max was pulled in by the same thing. Max's place was a converted office right next door to TC's command centre. Alec's was half a world away on Oak Street. There was no way they could bear to shuffle the baby between the two places. They just ended up at Max's place and didn't leave. Alec longed for the rooms he'd painstakingly prepared for Max and the baby. He could just imagine the look on Alice's face when she looked up at the mural that Joshua had painted on the ceiling of the nursery. But things like that weren't really important as long as Alice was right there in front of him. If she had only soiled diapers and hunger to complain of, he had nothing to complain about either.

Alec woke up to sunlight streaming in through the old Venetian blinds that covered the main window into Max's room. He was lying on the leather couch they'd found in there before Max had moved in. Max was sitting on the other end of the couch, pressed against his shins, breastfeeding Alice. It was about the most beautiful sight Alec had ever awoken to.

Without thinking, Alec sat up, wrapped his arm around Max, tilted her face up and kissed her. She kissed back for a second, before she was adjusting Alice and ignoring Alec.

Alec sighed and leaned his head against the sofa's back, staring at the ceiling. The lighting was harsh and fluorescent. He'd change that when he had the chance to find a nicer lighting fixture. Alec shook himself from his thoughts. He was ignoring this just as well as Max was. For no good reason.

"Max," he said, leaning closer to her.

She looked at him, as though unable to imagine what he was going to say next.

"I like you," he said. She coloured slightly, and stared down at Alice. "A lot., actually. And I know you like me at least a little, so I'd really like it if we could grow up and move on."

"Move on?"

"Yes," said Alec. "No. That's not what I meant to say. You know everyone in TC thinks we're a couple."

"So we should do what everyone thinks just because they think it?"

"You're twisting all my words around. Max. I want us to have a relationship that's something other than friendship."

"Alec," said Max, detaching Alice and straightening herself out. Without hesitation, Alec lifted Alice and went about burping her. "I like you. But I really don't think now is a good time to get into a relationship."

"We're already in a relationship," said Alec. "We have a child together. We're in charge of TC together."

"Exactly," said Max. "We're spending all of this time together. How am I supposed to know if I really feel something for you or if it's just me latching on because you're the nearest available surface."

"Surface?"

"You're always here," said Max. "I never get a chance to miss you, and that's great because if I was missing you then Alice would be too. But things are so twisted up between us, we'd have to straighten them up before we could make something out of it."

"I think you're scared," said Alec. "You're afraid of this turning into something real. Right now you can pretend and tell yourself it's just because of Manticore that we're together. That there's no real feelings behind it. But there are. I like you. I think you're infuriating and beautiful, but I also think that you have this way of looking at the world that makes everyone else around you wish they could see it that way, too. You have an inner strength that I admire. You're always willing to help just about anyone and I'm always too selfish to look beyond my own nose. I think you're amazing, and I want to be able to know that you feel the same way about me."

"But I don't know if I do," said Max. "I'm not good with feelings. Maybe I am afraid."

"I don't want you to be afraid, Max," said Alec. "Manticore screwed us up, emotion-wise. I had no idea that what I was feeling for Rachel was love. I have no idea how my feelings for you compare with the ones I have for her. But I do know that I don't regret being here. And I want to move forward with you."

"I'd like that," said Max. And Alec kissed her before she could get to the inevitable but. Maybe if he could just kiss her forever, they could be happy together. Max pushed him back. "Alec we can't do this right now."

"What's wrong with right now?" asked Alec. "Do you really think we have to put our lives on hold just because we're temporarily fenced in? My emotions aren't going to be fenced in, Max. They can't just be squashed into a box somewhere. Manticore might have tried to teach us that they could, but they were wrong. I want to be with you. No one but you."

"You make my head spin, you know?" said Max. "Whenever you're around, all I can think of is you."

"The feeling's mutual."

Max ignored his comment. "We can't afford to let ourselves get in the way of everyone. We have to think about more than that. We have responsibilities."

"I'm a better person when I'm with you," said Alec. "Before I met you, did you really think I'd be anywhere near this whole mess? I'd be halfway across the country by now, maybe in Canada or someplace else not so affected by the damn Pulse, living the high life with booze and chicks. But you're here, so I am too. And you make me want what you want. So don't tell me I'm being selfish when I say I want us to be together. We can do it. I'm sure of it. Alice agrees with me, don't you sweetie?" Alec cooed at his daughter and something like a laugh erupted out of her mouth.

"That's playing dirty," said Max, reaching over and stroking Alice's cheek. "We can't afford to be distracted."

"We've been so distracted with Alice lately, that I'm not really sure we could be more distracted."

And just like that, Max was out of arguments. "I'm scared," she admitted quietly, reaching over to lace her fingers through his. "I want you so badly that I'm afraid of losing control. I can't just let that go."

"I'm going to be here," said Alec. "Whether you like it or not. You cannot get rid of me."

"Good," said Max, suddenly certain of herself. "I'd hate to have to find out I can't live without you."

This time Max initiated the kiss and Alec returned it enthusiastically... before Alice interrupted them with a disgruntled burp. Her parents laughed, both feeling lighter than they had in weeks.

x X X x

A/N: So... who guessed that they were going to have a girl?


	22. Chapter 22

**Heat Induced**

Author's Note: Alright, so this is it. The final chapter. Hope it lives up to the hype. I just want to say THANKS to everyone who read and reviewed, especially my more regular reviewers: Dark-Supernatural-Angel and Guiltypleasures exposed. I only post things here so that other people can read and enjoy them, so I'm always glad to hear when people are.

Chapter 22

Something was happening in the ordinary camp on the other side of the fence. The watchmen on the roof who monitored the comings and goings into the enemy camp's command tent had noticed a civilian visitor early in the morning. The visitor was a woman. Since then, the most senior staff had gone in, and nobody had come out.

"I bet it's the order to blow us up," said Mole. "Better start the evacuations."

"But they said it was a civilian," said Alec. "Do you really think she'd be carrying the orders?"

"Any senator could have sent them," said Luke.

"Didn't look much like a senator," said Dalton, who'd been on watch. "She was wearing this really long flowery skirt and had a scarf over her head."

"We'll be prepared to evacuate to the bomb shelters," said Max. "But I have a feeling this doesn't have anything to do with a bombing."

Transgenic eyes were better than any camera they could set up to watch over the tent, so it was only when Max's phone rang that they knew when someone came out of the camp.

A second later, the radio they had set up to communicate with the guards at the fence crackled to life. "There's a woman here to see you."

Alec turned to Max. "You can't go out there alone."

"When have I ever been alone?" she asked him. She addressed the rest of the room. "We're just going to check on Alice and be right out."

x x x

Fifteen minutes later, with bullet proof vests hidden under their shirts, Max and Alec stood at the gate with their armed guard. Max still refused to carry a gun, and although Alec had a gun, it was simply tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

On the other side of the fence with a similar contingent of armed guards, stood Colonel Nickerson of the National Guard. He'd been in charge of the people on the other side of the fence since the second day of the siege. They hadn't spoken in person in weeks, though, and he looked obviously surprised at how Max didn't look like she'd had a baby less than two months ago. She'd barely eaten anything over the past few weeks as her body metabolised the excess weight she no longer needed. The only evidence was in her still enlarged breasts, which you would only notice if you'd known Max before she was pregnant. She was still breastfeeding Alice.

Beside Colonel Nickerson stood the civilian woman who'd started this. As Dalton had said, she didn't look like a senator. She had a little hardness about her face that spoke of someone who was used to working outside. She was wearing hiking boots under her long skirt, and the scarf that had been over her head was now around her shoulders, exposing thick, dark hair. She wore wire-rimmed glasses, and seemed to have focused the entirety of her attention on to Max, seemingly cataloguing her appearance.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Guevara, Mr. McDowell," said the Colonel. It was always strange to Max and Alec to be addressed in that manner, but having the Colonel address them as anything else made it seem as though lines were being crossed. "May I present Dr. Joanne Powell, geneticist." The fact that the Colonel looked completely baffled by the woman, and the fact that she was a geneticist, had Max and Alec taking a step back, and their guards taking a step forward. The Colonel ignored their obviously hostile reaction. "She would like to speak with you in private."

"No way in hell," said Alec.

"Be that as it may," said the Colonel. "I am under orders to allow it to happen. What you choose to do with that time is up to you." With that, he and his men disappeared, leaving the woman alone.

"Who are you?" asked Max. "Manticore send you?"

The geneticist shook her head, and took a step closer to the fence. Everyone took a corresponding step backward. She sighed and stayed where she was. "I'm your mother, Max."

Instinctively, Alec put his arm around Max's waist, lending her his strength. "I have to say," he said. "You don't look anything alike." She was about the right age, though, looking to be in her early forties.

"Were you really expecting me to?" asked Joanne. "You know how it worked. Girls no one would miss paid to have babies. Most of us never questioned anything."

"We're going to need some sort of proof," said Alec, wondering if there was anything in the Manticore database that could verify whatever she had to say. "And I'd say you'd be pretty stupid if you didn't bring some."

Joanne slipped a disk from her pocket. "This isn't a personal visit," she said. "If it was, I'd have come a long time ago. Sandeman sent me." She threw the disk over the fence and Alec caught it with his free hand. "Everything you need to know is on that disk." She looked at Max, then walked forward and laced her fingers through the chain link fence. "I wanted to keep you. I never would have let them take you if I could have helped it."

Max's eyes fluttered shut. "I know," said Max. She turned and began walking away, Alec at her back.

"I'll be here this time tomorrow," Joanne called after them. None of the transgenics acknowledged her statement.

x x x

Luke scrounged up a computer for the disk Joanne had given them. They didn't want to use one that had any of their own information on it, or one that could make a connection to their system. If someone from the government got their hands on Manticore's database and the notes about it they'd made, chances were some sort of transgenic targeted virus was going to suddenly make its way through TC.

As soon as they inserted the disk, a video began to play. It was of an older man, and instinctively they all knew it was Sandeman. Max vaguely recognised him, and no one needed Joshua's cry of "Father!" to be sure. He addressed it to his special one, and systematically, without inflection, explained the entire history of the breeding cult's origins.

Apparently a few thousand years ago, a comet came past the earth and distributed a virus that killed ninety-seven percent of the earth's population. Some of those who survived came together and formed the breeding cult that know referred to themselves as Familiars. Over time the breeding program came to encompass different strains, like the telekinetic kid Max and Alec had met at the boarding school, and elite fighters, stronger thinkers. He outlined the selection process, and the test that all members had to undertake: they'd managed to cultivate the virus in the blood of a snake, and each child was tested. Despite their best breeding efforts, some died. Those who couldn't survive the virus were thought of as weaker, lesser members of the species.

As a scientist, Sandeman had at his fingertips the understanding of what exactly it was that made the Familiars resistant to the virus, and knowing that his son wouldn't survive, he broke away from the cult and founded Manticore. He talked about how he made them all resistant, but that she would not even suffer the side-effects, and with her blood, the rest of the population could be immunised for the comet's next coming.

But control of Manticore was wrested away from Sandeman, and he had to leave before he could complete the anti-virus. He needed someone to watch over Max, so he'd enlisted the help of the one person he knew loved Max and would do anything for her: the woman who'd carried her. Sandeman broke her out of the psychiatric prison that Manticore had thrown her into, and trained her to take over, should anything happen to him. Together they finished the recipe for the virus, but the final ingredient rested in Max's blood.

Sandeman's last comments were a heartfelt plea to Max, reminding her that the fate of the planet was in her hands, and that she had all the tools at her disposal to make sure that it worked.

The rest of the disk contained everything they needed to know about the virus, and the anti-virus. It also contained the prediction of when the comet was next to approach the Earth.

"What do you think of all of this?" Alec asked Max quietly.

"Of course it's me," was all she said. She scratched at her wrist where the first runes had appeared.

"It's not exactly proof that Joanne is your mother," said Alec. "And how did she get the National Guard to let her in to see you? And if she can do that, why hasn't she just let us all out?"

"Questions for her to answer tomorrow," said Max. "Besides, it doesn't matter if she is or isn't my mother. The point is that Sandeman is pretty sure this virus is coming to annihilate the human population, and that we have a chance to do something about it."

"And what if Sandeman's the one who wants a virus that's going to kill everyone in the world except his old family, the Familiars, and his new family, the transgenics?"

"We need a snake," said Max. "And we need to check and double check every single thing that's on that disk. We're going to need a geneticist that we can trust."

"This isn't our problem," said Mole. "If what he said's true, we just have to wait two weeks, then all our troubles will be over."

Max turned on him with venom. "Oh, so you want to do to them what they want to do us? Kill us all without discrimination? You want to sink to their level?"

"Some of them will survive," said Mole with a shrug and a puff of his cigar.

"What about the Familiars?" asked Max. "What happens when it's just us and them? Do you really want to fight a war?"

"So what are you suggesting, then?" asked Mole.

"This is our ticket out," said Max. "We want acceptance and we're going to get it when everyone hears that we could have let them all die, but didn't."

"If anyone even believes us," said Alec.

"If it works," said Max. "We can release everything on that disk to the public. They'll have to believe us, then."

"Oh, they'll believe us. No one could ever doubt you," said Alec, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Max ducked her head, strands of hair falling so that the rest of the room wouldn't see her blush. She loved what he did to her, the way her made her feel. How had she denied herself this for so long?

x x x

Most of the plan fell into place easily. Joanne seemed to be entirely on the up and up. Logan found a few scientists who were willing to help and had them examining everything separately from one another. Joanne didn't know that they were having outside labs testing it.

Meanwhile, at TC they'd started on a small batch of the anti-virus as given, to get a head start on the process. Finding the equipment wasn't hard. Getting their hands on the ingredients was. It was times like these when they wished Manticore had given them real superpowers. The ability to break something down into its elements would have been immensely useful. Alec's usual suppliers were more than a little curious when he started requesting chemicals. But they assumed he wanted to blow something up and he let them keep thinking that.

Joanne had made it clear, however, that once they chose to follow her path, she had everything set up to follow it through to completion. As it was, the transgenics had pretty much silently decided that she would be their first test subject. If she was pulling the wool over their eyes, she was going to be the one to suffer for it. No one else.

The anti-virus was a virus itself. It would multiply and spread the same way, and once its job was done, it would hang around like the millions of other harmless viruses in the world. It was extremely resilient, and passed from mother to child easily so that every child would be born with the tolerance. The trick was letting it multiply to infect an entire populace, without multiplying so far as to become destructive to its human hosts. With any luck it would still be alive and kicking the next time the comet came to pass.

The snake was more difficult to get their hands on. The Familiars had been unusually quiet ever since the siege had begun. Max was surprised they hadn't managed to make the call to blow them all up before now. But with the coming of the comet that was likely to again destroy the majority of the world's population, it made sense that they would instead prepare for that. As long as they didn't think the transgenics were working on

In the end it was Logan who came up with the plan to get the snake. He set up bait for White. He faked some communications with veiled hints toward Ray White and his situation, indicating that the kid needed to be moved. With any luck White would want to intercept his son. Syl, Krit and Zack were going to be waiting to take White hostage. And then they were going to get themselves a snake, either by coercing White, or by trading him for the snake. Logan made sure they knew exactly what the snake would look like. Unfortunately they had no way of easily testing that the snake carried the virus, and just had to hope that all snakes of that species carried it.

The Familiars would know exactly why they wanted a snake, of course. But they were probably going to be too busy getting ready for their end of the world party to bother with what would seem like a last ditch effort to create an anti-virus.

Meanwhile they had Sketchy start writing a few things about the Familiars. Not that they wanted to end the world, but that they existed and that they were not necessarily the most friendly of people and that they might be a little more dangerous than your friendly neighbourhood transgenics. Just laying the groundwork so that people would think twice if they came across them.

Syl, Krit and Zack pulled off the snake exchange reasonably well. Syl took a shot to the chest, but it had missed everything vital, and they managed to get out with the snake. Max had been worried out of her mind, hearing about it, but she reasoned that she'd managed a similar injury and was just fine now. Syl would be fine, and she still had Krit and Zack to keep her company while she recovered. And the snake turned out to have the virus, once they tested for it in their lab. As much as she didn't want to use her siblings as soldiers, some things had to be done. And this time they'd volunteered, they hadn't been forced into service.

x x x

Within a week, they had the first batch of anti-virus floating around. It worked on the virus they'd isolated in the petri dishes they'd set up. But there was no way of knowing how it would react to an ordinary's immune system, or their bodies in general.

When it didn't kill Joanne, they started testing it on their friends. OC was first, claiming that she was the least important of them all if she did happen to die. Max hadn't agreed at all, but someone had to go first. When she had no adverse effects, Logan and Sketchy were next. Joshua had been worried about how Annie would react, given the fact that a virus had been the cause of her blindness, but she too survived contact, as did the rest of their ordinary friends. They let Joanne take some of Max's blood to mass produce the cure, since it seemed she was on the up and up, but they continued releasing it throughout Seattle.

Because of the way the anti-virus reproduced, it was highly likely that anyone they came in contact with would come away with immunity. It could survive for up to three days without a living host, so they simply mailed it to every state in the US, and halfway across the world for postal workers to handle, just in case Joanne's cure wasn't actually the cure.

OC spent a lot of time at the airport, figuring that would be the best way to get the anti-virus out there. Before the end of the week, a vast amount of the global population would have been immunised, without even knowing it. The best thing was that the Familiars had no idea. And, if they came in contact with the right people, it was highly likely that they would be helping spread the immunity they did not want everyone to have.

Joanne's contacts started spreading the word that the coming comet could be carrying a pathogen that would kill a large amount of the population. Most people dismissed it as a myth, but when they heard there was a vaccine available, many people didn't stop themselves. One of Logan's Eyes Only contacts managed to get a sample of the vaccine from several states away, and they tested it to find that it was the real deal. Max relaxed when she heard that. Perhaps Alec's faith hadn't been misplaced, and this would actually work.

x x x

When the comet finally came, the whole world went out onto their rooftops to watch. But nobody got sick. Max almost cried. She and Alec were sitting together with Alice, watching it go past. Alec had felt the effects of the virus before, and when no one collapsed, he felt kind of bereft. It wasn't that they wanted a whole bunch of people to get sick. It wasn't that they wanted the Familiars to be right about everything. It was just that they'd been hoping this would be their shot. And when nothing happened, they knew that the chances were slim that they'd be given the invitation to rejoin society. Two weeks of work and worry, and they had nothing to show for it.

x x x

Max all but fell into a depression at that point. It was as though her only hope, one she shouldn't have had, had crashed and burned. It had taken all her hope with her. She was starting to think that Mole was right and they all should have run off into the sunset. Continued running and hiding from the government, never being allowed to interact with each other because it was too dangerous. For Joshua and those like him to be condemned to basement after basement, never allowed to see daylight.

Alec watched her fall and could barely hold onto her as she did so. Though some part of himself felt a little dirty doing it, he used their daughter as an endless distraction for Max. Alice was sitting up on her own and perfectly capable of engaging with what her were saying to her, though none of them ever really understood each other. If Alec put Alice into Max's lap, Max would immediately focus all of her energy onto her daughter. And when Max was focused on Alice, she couldn't get depressed.

Alec tried to help Max in other ways, too. He took her out on their first real date. It was nothing fancy. They shared cans of food on a scrounged up picnic blanket in a pharmaceutical greenhouse that had become overgrown since the Pulse. Alec had vetoed all attempts to talk about anything other than their happiest memories and fantasies. He distracted her by retelling the stories he'd watched on the television and when her eyes darkened, he distracted her with kisses. And for the first time, they had sex without regrets. If either of them were pressed, they might even have called it making love.

Other times, Alec would send Max to spend time with the gentler transhumans or the X8s. He wanted to remind her that they could have a life, that they deserved to have a life. He couldn't bring back her fire, but he could stop her slide into nothingness.

Max knew what Alec was trying to do, and she was more grateful to him for it than she would ever be able to express to him. He was her rock, the foundation of the self that was Max and not her shadow. She only wished she could be as much for him. She knew he wasn't as involved with the whole TC thing, that the only reason why he was there was because she was. He could fool himself into thinking that it was possible to run from Seattle and make his own life somewhere. But Max knew what it was to live with a lie and she didn't want that anymore. Not for herself, not for Alec, and not for Alice. The only problem was that it looked too much like a pipe dream. But she wanted to help Alec and if the only way to do that was to turn a pipe dream into reality, Max was going to figure out a way.

x x x

Their saviour came in the form of Joanne. With nothing to fear from the comet and the Familiars, those people she knew who were friendly toward the transgenics, were suddenly more vocal in their protests against the forced imprisonment. She spread around the scientific data in all the science journals, and basically had the entire scientific community admitting that though the virus hadn't suddenly appeared, without the transgenic contribution the anti-virus could not have existed. Of course some attributed it all to Sandeman, but since Sandeman had been the one to bring transgenics into existence in the first place, it balanced out.

With growing support from the public, and the prominent arrest of some Familiars who'd been extremely unhappy with the outcome of the comet's passing, it became clear that the transgenic threat was no more of a threat than that of any other race. Of course there would be some who would use their superpowers for evil instead of good, but it was not fair to deny the entire population their rights simply because they were physically stronger than the majority of the population. It would be like imprisoning geniuses simply for being smarter than everyone else. Genetically engineered or not.

With that, the decree came that all transgenics were to be considered legal United States citizens (though Max still insisted that they already were), and given the rights and freedoms (as well as the usual limitations) associated with that status.  
>When Alice set foot on ground outside of Terminal City, a tear did come to Max's eye. They were finally free. And they had Alice's grandmother to thank for it.<p>

It no longer mattered to Max whether Joanne was specifically her mother. She could have been anyone's mother as she'd been knocked out when she'd given birth. But she had looked after Max and the rest of the transgenics the way that a mother would. If Sandeman was their father, Joanne was more than fitting to be their mother. It was a mantle she hadn't asked for, but one she wore proudly and graciously. Happy to see that the last twenty years of her life had been given for a cause that, unlike most of the good ones, was actually won.

Terminal City still remained as a tribute to the transgenic population. Ordinaries still didn't venture inside because of the hazardous chemicals, but Luke and Dix were working on that. The gates stood open in a way they never had done, and people walked in and out free and clear.

Of course, it took a lot of time before the general population got used to seeing people like Mole wandering their streets, but eventually they too were accepted. Even the strangest looking transgenic could find something in common with the most normal ordinary.

And through it all, Max and Alec remained Alec and Max. Their relationship had only been strengthened by the new physical element they added to it. Having been through everything together, they couldn't consider the thought of being apart. They were all moving into Joshua's basement together. And none of them could conceive of a happier ending than that... except perhaps Logan, who very quickly found himself a new place to live now that he didn't have anything to fear from the Familiars.

It all felt something like a happily ever after.

The End

x X X x

A/N: Hope you enjoyed... and that no one else thinks my solution to the Familiar problem was both too convoluted and too simple. Thanks for sticking with it! I'd tell you to look out for my next fic but your guess is as good as mine regarding when it shows up.


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